The Federal Bureau of Investigation is marking the 45th anniversary of the creation of its first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Formed in New York in 1980, the first JTTF became a model for law enforcement cooperation across the nation.

The Birmingham Field Office organized its JTTF in August 2002. JTTFs can be found at each of the FBI’s 55 field offices and many of their smaller offices—280 locations in all.

JTTFs gather trained investigators, intelligence analysts, linguists, and tactical experts from federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Task force members share intelligence and investigative leads and respond to threats and incidents.

“The North Alabama Joint Terrorism Task Force expertly combines resources to combat terrorism and strengthen our national security,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher DiMenna, “All of our partners bring their special skills and expertise to this team, making us all in Alabama that much stronger.”

The FBI’s JTTF model dates to 1979, when the New York Police Department and the FBI’s New York Field Office created a joint task force to tackle violent bank robberies. They imitated the model in 1980, when terrorist bombings, bomb threats, and other violence plagued the city, and announced the formation of the first JTTF in April 1980.

After the 9/11 attacks, FBI leadership directed all FBI field offices to establish a JTTF. In addition, the FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June of 2002. The NJTTF, at FBI Headquarters, enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies.

JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades.

The Birmingham Field Office counts numerous disruptions of its own, including a plan in February 2023, the collaboration between two FBI Field Office JTTFs led to the arrest and sentencing of a New York man and Alabama woman charged with attempting and conspiring to provide material support to Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Asham (ISIS). James Bradley, aka Abdullah, of the Bronx, New York, and Arwa Muthana, of Hoover, Alabama, were sentenced to 11 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and nine years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release respectively, for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). This case was investigated in a cooperative effort with the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and the North Alabama Joint Terrorism Task Force, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies.

Additional Resources: DVIDS - Federal Bureau of Investigation (Electronic Press Kit)