International Journal on Criminology Volume 4, Number 2, Winter 2016 | Page 20

International Journal on Criminology
a] Informed about how products in their possession had been used
in terrorist attacks abroad;
b] Asked to watch for any purchase that was inconsistent with normal
practices of their business;
c] Advised to report that activity to the FBI and the NYPD
Counterterrorism Hotline.
During the 12-year history of what became known as “Operation Nexus”,
over 50,000 businesses were visited by Intelligence Division Detectives. To raise
awareness, they also spoke to industry conventions such as the aircraft spraying
convention, the UAV convention as well as gun shows to name a few. Special links
also were made with some firms.
-----Intelligence Detectives, for example, established a connection with
the fuel trucking industry in the New York–New Jersey region to assure any
missing fuel trucks would be immediately reported to the NYPD Intelligence
Division Operations Unit for response.
----- In another example, after the Boston Marathon attack, a real-time
link was established by Operation Nexus with the country’s largest fireworks
firm headquartered in Pennsylvania.
-----The firm unknowingly was the source of fireworks bought by
Faisal Shazhad in his plan to detonate a bomb in Times Square; the Tsarnaev
brothers purchased their fireworks from the firm to gain access to the black
powder contained in the fireworks.
According to the firm, Operation Nexus outreach was the first time it had
been contacted by any law enforcement agency. Unfortunately, this came only after
the Boston Marathon attack when the NYPD Intelligence Division was able to
connect the two purchases.
NYPD Intelligence and The Federal Government
The NYPD leadership decision to carve out a role in defending New York
City against another terrorist attack was not immediately understood or necessarily
welcomed by all U.S. Government agencies responsible for counterterrorism. In
some instances, stark frictions emerged very early and lasted longer than many on
all sides of the issue would have preferred. Candor dictates that the greatest concern
was within the FBI, but over time many in the Bureau came to appreciate the unique
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