NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the grand opening of the new World Trade Center (WTC) Command at 27 Cliff Street, a short distance from the sprawling 16-acre WTC Campus that the command safeguards. The WTC Command — which falls under the NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau — was previously located within the 1st Precinct, at 16 Ericsson Place.
“The safety of our city is not an accident. Counterterrorism is a discipline that requires constant efforts and eternal vigilance — and this new command is a facility worthy of the team tasked with this important work,” said Mayor Adams. “None of us will ever forget the attacks of September 11, 2001. But ‘never forget’ means more than remembrance; it means that we must always stand on guard against the forces of evil and destruction, and that we will do whatever it takes to ensure that New York remains the safest big city in America.”
“This facility reflects the significance of the mission, and the unit entrusted with it,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The World Trade Center is more than a transit hub or a commercial center – it’s a symbol of resilience, and protecting it is one of the NYPD’s most critical responsibilities. This command plays a central role in that effort – and now has the space and resources to carry it out. We’re grateful to Mayor Adams and our partners at DCAS for ensuring our officers have the space and support they need to safeguard this vital site.”
As the command expanded, the NYPD’s Facility Management Division was charged with finding a new site that would meet the counterterrorism command’s programmatic needs. Working with city real estate companies, the Facility Management Division identified the vacant five-story building on Cliff Street. The NYPD’s Asset Management Team — working closely with architects and designers from the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) — managed the renovation.
The command comprises 126 members of the service, led by commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Daniel Magee, along with nine lieutenants, 16 sergeants, 100 police officers, and three civilian administrators. The officers possess a range of specialized training, including active shooter response, radiation detection, and bio-weapons awareness. While high visibility posts are a priority, plainclothes officers who blend in with crowds are also routinely dispatched.
The modern police facility features a muster room, teaming spaces, private offices, executive conference rooms, and numerous workstations, as well as locker rooms, showers, and kitchenettes. Given the command’s unique responsibilities, there is also an armory for heavy weapons and a gun-cleaning area.
Although the facilities have changed, the officers’ counterterrorism responsibilities remain the same. Day-to-day operations include high-visibility foot-posts at Memorial Plaza, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, One World Trade Center, the Oculus, Liberty Park, and the Perelman Performing Arts Center. NYPD Raptor Booth Posts — mobile elevated surveillance units — are used to screen vehicles at entry and exit points.
The command will also deploy officers throughout the five boroughs for large-scale events. The command’s responsibilities are extensive — safeguarding a campus that welcomes 2.2 million annual visitors to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, along with 300,000 daily visitors to the Oculus. The Westfield WTC boasts 365,000 square feet of retail space and the Perelman Performing Arts Center has a 1,200-seating capacity. The campus is home to 50,000 workers and countless commuters who use the 12 subway lines and the PATH train that connect underground.
