Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective William Titus died from illnesses he contracted while inhaling toxic materials as he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Detective Titus had served with the New York City Police Department for 17 years and was assigned to Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North.
Detective Titus had served with the New York City Police Department for 17 years and was assigned to Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North.
September 11, 2001 - The Years After
Detective William B. Titus Jr. was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001.
He died on August 24, 2003 - 1 year and 11 months later - of an illness contracted there.
He is one of 599 officers honored here, and one of 450 at New York City Police Department.
The most recent of these deaths was October 24, 2025.
Officers who worked the search, rescue, and recovery at the World Trade Center site breathed contaminated air for weeks and months afterward. Many developed cancers and respiratory disease, and they have gone on dying of it ever since.
Seventy-two officers were killed on the morning itself. Hundreds more have died in the years that followed. They are honored here together, because the same attack killed them all. With some it simply took longer.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-39D10304- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Detective Titus gave the New York City Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Titus.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective William B. Titus Jr. is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 30.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At New York City Police Department, 538 of 1237 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 43.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William B. Titus Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How William B. Titus Jr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William B. Titus Jr. is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1,236 officers from New York City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
