Numbers are weird. They feel cold. When you ask how many police officers died on 9 11, you aren’t just looking for a digit to plug into a spreadsheet. You’re asking about the guys who ran toward the fire while everyone else was running away. It’s about the NYPD, the Port Authority, and the plainclothes detectives who didn’t even have radios that worked in the stairwells.
History books usually give you one number. But history is messy.
On September 11, 2001, the immediate loss of life was staggering. We talk about the 2,977 victims total, but the subset of law enforcement is its own specific, heartbreaking ledger. Most people recognize the 23 NYPD officers. That’s the number you see in most headlines. But it isn't the whole story. Not even close.
The Immediate Losses: September 11, 2001
The morning started like any other Tuesday in Lower Manhattan. Then the world broke.
The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) actually took the hardest hit in terms of law enforcement numbers that day. While the NYPD is the most famous police force in the world, the PAPD is responsible for the World Trade Center site itself. Because their command post was literally inside the complex, they were on the front lines from the second the first plane hit.
In total, 37 PAPD officers were killed in the line of duty that day.
Think about that for a second. Thirty-seven officers from a relatively small department. It remains the largest single-day loss of life for any individual police agency in United States history. They were led by Superintendent Fred Morrone, who was last seen heading up into the North Tower to coordinate evacuations. He didn't make it out.
Then you have the New York City Police Department. 23 officers died.
These weren't just guys on patrol. You had members of the Emergency Service Unit (ESU)—New York’s version of SWAT—who are trained for heavy rescue. They went in with oxygen tanks and heavy tools. They were in the towers when they came down. One of them, Moira Smith, is often remembered for a photo showing her lead a blood-covered businessman out of the tower before she went back in to find more people. She was the only female NYPD officer to die that day.
But wait. There’s more.
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A lot of folks forget about the federal side. One officer from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Richard Guadagno, was a passenger on United Flight 93. He’s credited with being part of the group that fought back against the hijackers in the skies over Pennsylvania.
Why the Numbers Sometimes Confuse People
If you’re tallying this up, you get 72 law enforcement officers killed in the immediate attacks.
- 37 Port Authority Police Department officers
- 23 New York City Police Department officers
- 5 New York State Office of Court Administration officers
- 1 FBI Special Agent (Leonard Hatton, who was off-duty but ran to the towers to help)
- 1 U.S. Secret Service Special Agent (Craig Miller)
- 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer
- 3 New York State Department of Taxation and Finance officers (who had law enforcement status)
- 1 New York City Fire Department Fire Marshal (technically a sworn officer)
It’s a lot. Honestly, it’s a miracle it wasn’t higher given how many thousands of people they successfully evacuated before the collapse.
But here is where the "official" count gets complicated and, frankly, much darker. If you ask a 9/11 first responder how many police officers died on 9 11, they might give you a number in the hundreds or even thousands.
They aren't exaggerating. They’re talking about the "slow-motion" deaths.
The Aftermath: The Deaths That Didn't Stop in 2001
The dust. That gray, pulverized concrete and asbestos cloud that hung over Lower Manhattan for months. It was toxic. We know that now. At the time? Officials said the air was safe. It wasn't.
Since 2001, the number of police officers who have died from 9/11-related illnesses has far surpassed the number of those killed in the actual collapse.
As of the most recent data from the NYPD, over 350 members of the department have died from illnesses linked to their time spent at Ground Zero, the Fresh Kills landfill (where the debris was sorted), and the morgue. That is more than ten times the number of NYPD officers killed on the day of the attacks.
The PAPD has seen similar grim statistics. Cancer, respiratory failure, and rare autoimmune diseases have torn through the ranks of the men and women who spent weeks on the "Pile" searching for remains.
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The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and the Blue Wall
Navigating the bureaucracy of 9/11 deaths is a nightmare. For a long time, the government didn't want to admit that these cancers were linked to the dust. It took guys like Jon Stewart and retired NYPD detective James Zadroga to scream loud enough for people to listen.
Zadroga died in 2006. He was a non-smoker who developed black lung-like symptoms after working hundreds of hours at Ground Zero. His autopsy showed physical particles of glass and stone in his lungs. The Zadroga Act, which funds healthcare for survivors, is named after him.
When you see the names added to the memorial walls in Battery Park or at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, you see the year 2001 next to many. But you see 2015, 2018, 2023, and 2024 next to others.
Basically, the line of duty deaths for 9/11 is an open file. It grows every single month.
Real Stories: Beyond the Statistics
Numbers don't have families. People do.
Take John D’Allara. He was an NYPD ESU officer. A total gearhead, loved his job. On September 11, he was part of the crew that rushed into the North Tower. He had 18 years on the force. He’s one of the 23.
Then look at the "hidden" victims. Officers who survived the collapse but died years later. They spent their final years hooked up to oxygen tanks, unable to play with their grandkids because their lungs were essentially turned to stone by the debris.
There's a specific kind of bravery in that, too. They knew the air was bad. They smelled it. They tasted it. But they stayed because there was work to be done.
What We Get Wrong About the Response
A common misconception is that the police response was perfectly coordinated. It wasn't. It was chaos.
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The radios didn't work. The NYPD and FDNY had trouble communicating because they were on different frequencies. This is a huge reason why so many officers and firefighters were still in the buildings when they collapsed; they didn't all get the evacuation order.
When you look at the stats for how many police officers died on 9 11, you have to account for the fact that many of these people were acting on instinct and individual initiative. They weren't waiting for a command from a chief. They saw people trapped and they went in.
The Financial and Emotional Toll on Departments
Losing 37 officers for the PAPD was a body blow that took a decade to recover from. They lost a massive chunk of their leadership and institutional knowledge in twenty minutes.
The NYPD, being much larger (around 35,000 officers at the time), could absorb the operational loss, but the emotional scar is permanent. Every precinct in the city has a plaque. Every roll call is a reminder.
Actionable Insights: How to Respect the Legacy
If you’re reading this because you want to honor those who fell, don't just memorize a number. Numbers fade. Actions stick.
- Support the Survivors: Organizations like the Tunnels to Towers Foundation or the Answer the Call (NY Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund) do the actual work of paying off mortgages for the families of fallen officers.
- Visit the Memorials: If you’re in NYC, go to the 9/11 Memorial. Look for the bronze parapets. You'll see the names of the NYPD and PAPD officers grouped together. If you see a small American flag or a rose stuck in a name, it’s that officer's birthday.
- Advocate for Healthcare: The World Trade Center Health Program constantly needs reauthorization and funding. It’s not a "set it and forget it" thing. It’s an ongoing political battle to ensure the officers still suffering from 9/11 cancers get their chemo paid for.
- Educate the Next Generation: Most kids in school now weren't alive in 2001. They see 9/11 as ancient history, like Pearl Harbor. Explain the nuance—that the "death toll" isn't a static number from a Tuesday in September, but a continuing sacrifice.
The count is 72 for the day of. The count for the years after is well over 400 and rising.
Next time someone asks you about the police on 9/11, tell them it wasn't just about the collapse. It was about the months of digging in the dirt that followed. It was about the "World Trade Center Cough" that turned into Stage IV lung cancer ten years later. That’s the real answer.
Research the Zadroga Act and the WTC Health Program to understand how current legislation protects those still fighting 9/11-related illnesses. Support local law enforcement foundations that provide mental health resources for first responders dealing with long-term PTSD from that day.