The Response, Coordination, and Jurisdiction of Law Enforcement Agencies

The Law Enforcement Response to the Terrorist Attacks of September 11

The law enforcement response to the September 11 terrorist attacks was immediate and followed what could be described as a "mechanical" and procedural model of operation. On September 11, at approximately 9:17 a.m., in accordance with procedures already established for purposes of responding to terrorist incidents, the Federal Aviation Administration1 (FAA) acting under the direction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 2(FBI), closed all New York City airports. Soon after, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 3 proceeded to shut down all New York area bridges and tunnels. This was followed by the FAAâs instructions to ground all flight operations in the United States until further notice. This marked the first time in U.S. history when all air traffic had been completely halted.

Looking back at the sequence of events of September 11, many experts have argued that the swiftness and coordination of federal agencies such as the FBI and FAA, in conjunction with the New York Police Department 4 (NYPD), was essential in preventing further terrorist attacks on September 11th. In fact, intelligence reports and evidence gathered by sources close to the investigation have revealed that additional terrorist attacks involving the use of commercial airliners had been planned for later on that day. Thus, the partnership of federal, state, and local authorities which resulted in the grounding of all U.S. airline carriers, not only prevented other terrorist attacks from taking place but also made it possible for federal agencies to re-assess the situation and direct resources where needed.