Twenty-three.
That is the number most people cite when they talk about the NYPD officers killed on 9/11. It’s a specific, haunting figure that represents the immediate loss within the New York City Police Department during the attacks on the World Trade Center. But honestly, if you look at the sheer scale of the chaos that Tuesday morning, that number feels both impossibly large and strangely small. It doesn’t capture the radio silence that followed the North Tower's collapse or the way the department had to keep functioning while its own were literally buried under millions of tons of steel.
When the first plane hit, the NYPD didn't just stand back and wait for orders. They ran. They ran toward the smoke while everyone else was running toward the water or the bridges. We often focus on the FDNY—and for good reason, their losses were staggering—but the role of the police that day was a different kind of nightmare. They were managing the perimeter, directing the terrified crowds, and, in many cases, heading up into the buildings to provide whatever help they could. It was a massive, disorganized, and incredibly brave effort that cost 23 officers their lives in an instant.
The immediate cost: Understanding the 23 NYPD officers killed on 9/11
It’s easy to get lost in the statistics, but these weren't just "officers." They were people like Sergeant John Coughlin, a father of three, or Officer Moira Smith, who was famously photographed leading a bloodied businessman out of the towers before she went back in to save more people. She was the only female NYPD officer to die that day.
The NYPD's presence wasn't just about security; it was about communication. They were the ones on the ground trying to make sense of a situation that didn't make any sense. You have to remember that the technology we have now—instant GPS, ubiquitous smartphones, high-speed data—just didn't exist in 2001. Radio frequencies were jammed or failing. The command posts were being destroyed as they were being set up. In that vacuum of information, individual officers had to make split-second decisions about whether to stay at their post or move deeper into the danger zone. Most chose to move toward the danger.
The names of the 23 are etched in bronze now, but back then, they were just voices over a crackling radio. Officers from the Emergency Service Unit (ESU) bore the brunt of the tactical response. These are the "cops' cops," the ones trained for heavy rescue and high-stakes tactical situations. On 9/11, their training was pushed past any reasonable limit. They entered the buildings with heavy gear, knowing the structural integrity was a question mark at best.
Why the toll of NYPD officers killed on 9/11 is actually much higher
If we only talk about the 23 who died when the buildings fell, we're missing about 95% of the story. This is where the narrative gets heavy and, frankly, pretty frustrating. Since 2001, the number of NYPD officers who have died from 9/11-related illnesses has far surpassed the number of those killed in the actual attacks.
We’re talking about thousands of people.
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The air at Ground Zero was a toxic soup of pulverized concrete, asbestos, jet fuel, and lead. For weeks and months, officers worked 12-hour shifts on "The Pile," sifting through debris for remains. They breathed that air. They ate their sandwiches with dust-covered hands because there was nowhere else to go. At the time, official word from the EPA was that the air was "safe to breathe." It wasn't. Not even close.
As of recent tallies from the NYPD and the World Trade Center Health Program, over 350 NYPD members have died from 9/11-related cancers and respiratory diseases. That’s more than ten times the number of those killed in the initial attack. When you search for information on the NYPD officers killed on 9/11, you have to include these men and women. They are the "slow-motion" casualties of the towers. Their deaths are just as much a result of the attacks as those who were in the stairwells of the South Tower.
Misconceptions about the NYPD's role on September 11
One of the biggest misconceptions is that the police were just there for "crowd control." That's a massive oversimplification. The NYPD Aviation Unit was actually some of the first to realize the towers were going to collapse. Pilots like Greg Semendinger were hovering nearby, snapping photos that would later become iconic, and radioing back that the glow in the towers wasn't just fire—it was the building's core failing.
There’s also this weird idea that there was perfect cooperation between the police and the fire department. In reality, it was a mess. The radios didn't talk to each other. Information that the police helicopters had didn't always make it to the fire chiefs in the lobby. This lack of interoperability is one of the darkest lessons of the day. It’s part of the reason why some officers stayed in the buildings longer than they should have; they simply didn't know the other tower had already come down.
Some people also forget the sheer geographical spread of the NYPD's loss. It wasn't just at the Trade Center. Officers were mobilizing across the entire city, guarding bridges, tunnels, and landmarks, expecting a "second wave" of attacks that luckily never came. The stress of that day wasn't just the impact; it was the anticipation of what was coming next.
Key figures and units involved
The Emergency Service Unit (ESU) lost the most members of any single NYPD division. These units—Truck 1, Truck 2, and others—were the tip of the spear.
Then you had the Transit Bureau and the various precincts in Lower Manhattan. Officer James Leahy, for instance, was from the 6th Precinct. He wasn't even assigned to the WTC, but he responded anyway because that’s what you do. He was last seen headed up into the North Tower, loaded with extra oxygen tanks for the firefighters.
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Then there were the plainclothes detectives and off-duty guys. Some officers were literally on their way home after a night shift, saw the smoke, turned their cars around, and never came back. That kind of localized heroism is hard to quantify, but it’s why the NYPD remains so fiercely protective of the memory of those lost.
The long-term health crisis: A different kind of line-of-duty death
Let’s talk about the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Named after NYPD Detective James Zadroga, who died of respiratory disease in 2006, this legislation was a hard-fought battle. For years, the government was hesitant to admit that the "World Trade Center cough" was actually a precursor to fatal sarcoidosis and rare cancers.
Basically, the NYPD had to fight twice: once on the day of the attacks, and once in the halls of Congress to get their medical bills covered.
The health issues aren't just physical, either. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the first responders who survived that day has led to a secondary crisis of suicides and early retirements. When we discuss the NYPD officers killed on 9/11, we are talking about a generation of leadership that was essentially hollowed out by the aftermath.
The nuance here is that "9/11-related death" is a legal and medical definition. To be added to the memorial wall at One Police Plaza, a death has to be certified as being caused by exposure at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills (where the debris was sorted), or the morgues. It’s a rigorous process, and every year, more names are added.
Realities of the recovery mission
The recovery at Ground Zero lasted until May 2002. For eight months, NYPD officers were tasked with the most somber job imaginable: finding their friends.
The process was grueling.
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They worked alongside construction workers and firefighters, often using nothing but their hands and small rakes. Every time a body or even a partial remain was found, work stopped. A flag was draped. A silent procession happened. It’s a side of the NYPD officers killed on 9/11 story that doesn't get the Hollywood treatment because it’s slow, dirty, and incredibly depressing. But it’s where the "Never Forget" mantra actually comes from. It was forged in the mud and the ash of the recovery site.
What you can do to honor their legacy
If you're looking for ways to actually help or learn more, don't just look at the old news footage. The situation is ongoing. Even in 2026, the health crisis is not "over."
- Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum: Specifically, look for the NYPD shield displays. They give a face to the names.
- Support the Answer the Call fund: This organization (The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund) provides immediate and long-term financial support to the families of fallen officers.
- Stay informed on the VCF: The Victim Compensation Fund is still active. Supporting legislation that keeps this funded is the most direct way to help the families of officers who are still dying from 9/11 illnesses today.
- Read the 9/11 Commission Report: If you want to understand the "why" behind the communication failures that led to some of these deaths, the report is a sobering but necessary read.
The NYPD officers killed on 9/11 didn't die for a "cause" in the political sense. They died doing a job that, on any other day, would have been routine. They were doing a building evacuation. They were directing traffic. They were helping people down stairs. The fact that it became a global tragedy doesn't change the nature of their sacrifice—it just makes the scale of it harder to wrap our heads around.
The best way to remember them is to acknowledge the full scope of the loss: the 23 who died that morning, and the hundreds who have died in the decades since. It’s a living history, and unfortunately, the list of names is still growing.
Actionable insights for the future
Understanding this history requires more than just reading a list of names. To truly grasp the impact of the NYPD's loss, one must look at how urban policing changed after that day.
First, look into how the NYPD created its own Counterterrorism Bureau. This was a direct response to the intelligence gaps that existed before 9/11. They now have officers stationed in cities around the world to ensure that the kind of surprise attack that killed their colleagues never happens again.
Second, pay attention to the ongoing health screenings. If you know a first responder—even if they weren't NYPD—encourage them to stay updated with the WTC Health Program. Early detection of the specific cancers linked to Ground Zero dust has saved countless lives.
Lastly, take a moment to look at the "Remembrance Wall" at One Police Plaza if you’re ever in New York. It’s a quiet, powerful place that puts the numbers into perspective. It’s not just a historical event; for the NYPD, 9/11 is a wound that never quite finished healing.