The Role of Off-Duty Officers on 9/11

You’re never really off duty.” How many times did you hear that when you were going through the academy? When you sat in roll call? When you were welcomed to a new agency and given a copy of the General Orders; some of which applied to you even though you were “off duty”? As law enforcement professionals, we’re never really off-duty and that was made abundantly clear on September 11, 2001.

When we think back to that morning and the days that followed, we often think first of the innocent lives lost and those that survived but were impacted in a way that will never be erased. We think about the police officers and firefighters who responded and made the ultimate sacrifice. We think about the officers from surrounding jurisdictions, whether it was in New York City or Arlington, Virginia or even in a now-hallowed field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All too often, though, we forget about all of the off-duty personnel who responded and why.

Without a doubt, the brave officers from the New York City Police Department get and deserve recognition. Hands down, they provided the bulk of response directly to the World Trade Center towers and the surrounding buildings that were impacted. They managed traffic and response corridors out of the impacted area. They coordinated, with other agencies, the largest maritime evacuation in history, guiding people to boats that took an estimated half million citizens to safety.

Sometimes we forget, though, the officers from surrounding jurisdictions, not only in New York but also from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. We forget about all of the officers who were off-duty and on vacation, who cast aside all thought of relaxing to “go to work,” serving the citizens in New York City that morning. We forget about the number of officers who were authorized by their agencies to travel to New York to assist, and who provided work hours far in excess of what they were ever going to be paid for. We forget about the officers who took vacation time/burned leave to go to New York and work to support the emergency effort.

We forget about the officers who worked double shifts and then some, without days off for weeks after the event. And we, all too often, forget about their families who just didn’t know when their loved one—their police officer...their deputy...their constable, special officer, marshal—the families just didn’t know when the officers would be home as they kissed them goodbye.

No; we’re never really off-duty. While society sometimes complains about law enforcement; when emergencies call on us, we respond. We do so without regard for the thanks we will get (or not). We dive into situations not knowing how long we will be tied up with them and not knowing how long our families will have to wonder what’s going on. We do so sometimes without being able to notify our families at all, leaving them to wonder if we’re even alive, if they know we’re in the area of a mass casualty event. WE DO SO.

It’s not just our job, but it’s our way of life. It’s what’s in our heart. It’s what drives us to sacrifice every day. Never before in our nation (that I can remember) and never since, have we seen the dedication and commitment so clearly displayed as it was on that day. When we say, “Never forget,” we don’t just mean those who were in uniform and on the clock. We mean every law enforcement professional who responded.