As New York City marked the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on Wednesday, NYPD Deputy Chief of Public Information Tarik Sheppard and Chief of Patrol John Chell reflected on the tragic events.

“I remember that day like it was yesterday. Just the weather today reminds me of it,” Chell said during an interview on “Mornings On 1.” “The heroism that day, the loss of life, my colleagues and friends and family, the days thereafter — or the months thereafter on the pile and hearing the stories of heroism. And it's just a sad and tragic day that I'll never forget.”

Despite the passage of time, the impact of Sept. 11 continues to resonate within the NYPD, Sheppard said.

“It’s actually motivated many young people to take on this profession and this career with the NYPD,” he said on "Mornings on 1." “I remember myself. I was a schoolteacher at that time. I worked for the Board of Education. I was a mathematics teacher in Brooklyn, and after [9/11], I decided to join the NYPD. So it definitely is something that has motivated a lot of people around the country to join law enforcement and try to make a difference.”

The attacks have also transformed policing tactics and departmental preparedness. Chell explained how the NYPD’s approach to security has evolved since 2001.

“We’re New York City. We're always at the highest threat level, whether we say it or not. Anything that happens in this world comes back to New York City. So as a department, as a city, we always have to be ready, even on a day like today, where we're mourning 23 years ago. We're still at a place where we have to secure the city. So it's just made us so much more aware,” Chell said.