NEW YORK (AP) – City lawyers are threatening to sue the publisher of a new book of ground zero photos taken by a former NYPD detective.

The 224-page book, “Aftermath: Unseen 9/11 Photos by a New York City Cop,” features the work of John Botte, who had access to the World Trade Center site because he was a city police detective.

City lawyers say the photos belong to the city because they were taken while Botte was on duty. They have taken steps to sue Botte and his publisher, HarperCollins, to recover any profits from sales of the book.

“Any copyrighted material that he creates while he’s being paid by the city belongs to the city,” city lawyer Gerald Singleton told The New York Times.

The story was first reported in the Daily News on Saturday.

Botte’s home number was unlisted, and calls to HarperCollins were not immediately returned on Sunday.

Botte retired from the Police Department in November 2003 with an accidental-disability pension.

The Times reported Sunday that an acquaintance said he suffered lung problems from the air he breathed at ground zero.