Monday, November 26, 2018

Acting AG Whitaker Speaks to NYC's Joint Terrorism Task Force

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker spoke to NYC’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) on November 21, 2018. The NYC JTTF is the oldest in the country with 500 members from 50 different partner agencies.

Prior to 9/11 there were 35 JTTFs in the U.S. After 9/11 the FBI implemented JTTFs in all of its field offices. There are now at least 100 JTTFs nationwide. The JTTFs are composed of members from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies as well as private organizations. The FBI participates in the JTTF under its Counterterrorism Division. The regional JTTFs coordinate under a National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF) that is located in Washington D.C. and has representatives from 35 federal agencies.

Acting AG Whitaker praised the NYPD in his speech:
And over the past three decades, your achievements have been staggering. In 1990, there were 2,245 murders in New York City. Last year there were 292. Since 2000, burglaries are down by nearly two-thirds and robberies have been cut in half. One weekend in October there were zero murders or shootings in New York City for the first time in 25 years.

These results are a testament to the effectiveness of NYPD, and of many people in this room. You’ve been able to start a virtuous cycle of safety, prosperity—and more safety. That is what we want to achieve all across America.
He also confirmed that the DoJ is taking additional steps to implement the objectives of one of Trump's first Presidential Executive Orders that was issued to improve safety for state and local law enforcement officers. A new $56 million grant announced by Whitaker includes funding for bulletproof vests, body-worn cameras, and health and safety research.

Summarized in part from the November 21, 2018 U.S. Department of Justice news release "Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Delivers Remarks to the Joint Terrorism Task Force"

Additional resources:
Wikipedia "Joint Terrorism Task Force"

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