New York, NY – NYPD Officers Given New Terror Guidelines

New York, NY – New guidelines have been issued instructing New York City police officers when to arrest suspected terrorists or when to release them without alerting the suspects they’re being watched, according to a police memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The New York Police Department has been informed that officers will receive one of four “handling codes” if they encounter someone listed in the National Crime Information Center’s terrorist database. The guidelines were issued Aug. 20.

“Counterterrorism is now part and parcel of the NYPD crime-fighting mission,” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

An officer’s actions are entirely dependent on the series of so-called codes. If an officer’s computer check during a routine traffic or other stop yields information that the motorist has been indicted or is a wanted terrorist, for example, a “Code 1” alert will scrawl across the officer’s computer screen or be read by the radio dispatcher.

“Warning. Approach with caution. Arrest this individual. This individual is associated with terrorism.”

Code 2 individuals, according to the memo, are subjects of active terrorism investigations. Officers will be advised to detain such suspects for “a reasonable amount of time for questioning.”

Those who are listed in the terrorist database as either Code 3 or Code 4 are individuals “identified by intelligence information as having possible ties with terrorism.”

The officers are not supposed to detain these individuals, unless there’s a reason unrelated to their suspected terrorism ties. Officers also have been instructed not to inform them that they’re on a terrorism watch list, according to the memo.

In all four instances, the officers also are required to immediately contact the NYPD’s Intelligence Division’s Criminal Intelligence unit supervisor as well as to contact the patrol supervisor.

Detectives from the Intelligence Division and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members of the NYPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will be called upon to conduct any interrogations, the memo says.

Even if a check of the database comes back negative but an officer still believes a suspect has possible ties to terrorism organizations, he or she is advised to contact the NYPD’s Intelligence Division and access the FBI’s Counter Terrorism Watch database.

Officers are advised, however, not to arrest the person unless there is probable cause that he or she broke a law.