Following
the 9/11/01 attacks against New York City's World
Trade Center, the residue of the two towers, spread
over 174 acres of land, was hand sifted by thousands
of workers to recover remains, personal effects,
and evidence. Over 17,000 tons of material were
processed daily. Items were taken by workers as
mementos of the tragedy and recovery effort, including
by FBI employees. An investigation of the removals
by FBI employees, undertaken by the Department
of Justice Inspector General, has resulted in
citations of misconduct and in policy recommendations
governing crime scenes. Many of the items have
been or are being turned over to museums and other
collections; the Tiffany globe in particular has
been turned over to the Inspector General.
Mrs.
Chandler, what is your overall take on this issue?
Sorrow...and
concern. Sorrow–and I know I speak for everyone
in the FBI when I say this–for the families
of the 9/11 victims who have had their own grief
compounded by the painful aftermath of the investigation.
But also concern that the heroic and dogged actions
of thousands during that terrible time are somehow
being tainted. No one should forget the difficult
and gut-wrenching work accomplished by people
at those fearful evidence recovery sites. I visited
the Fresh Kills site during the ongoing effort
to sift through mountains of debris. I saw our
employees and others working tirelessly, looking
for the tiniest item that could be identified
as belonging to someone that might help a family
through its grief. I know they gave their all
out there, every day, despite being covered from
head to toe with the soot of destruction. I can't
forget what they gave of themselves.
Why
were the items taken at all?
It
is my belief that our employees were simply working
feverishly, got caught up in that historic moment,
and had good, if misguided motivation in taking
the items. We know that debris from the site was
also taken by many others, for the same reasons.
And yet, regardless of the reasons, the items
should not have been taken.
Was
there a policy against removing items?
There
has always been a firm policy against taking evidentiary
and personal items from any crime scene. But there
wasn't a policy against taking items that were
determined not to fall into those categories and
were slated for disposal. Now, though, we have
a policy firmly in place. No items at all can
be removed from an evidence recovery site. Period.
Are
any FBI agents or support personnel being disciplined
for their actions?
The
Inspector General conducted a thorough investigation
and found evidence of misconduct on the part of
two employees. Those cases have been referred
to our Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
The OPR is reviewing the facts and will determine
what discipline is appropriate.
I
think you've talked to a number of people involved
in the investigation. What have they said to you
about it?
Well,
they are devastated, every one of them. They keep
saying that all they wanted was for those mementos
to serve as lifetime reminders of that horrific
attack on September 11; they wanted them to inspire
everyone who had a small piece of that day to
work relentlessly to wipe terrorism off the map.
They are, truly, most unhappy that the families
they worked so hard to help are now experiencing
additional hurt.
Last
thoughts?
Thanks
to the Inspector General's investigation and recommendations,
we have recognized the need for a policy governing
this issue and have put one in place. Painful
as this process has been, it has helped us improve
and strengthened our operation, so that we can
perform better in the future.
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