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Detective

Robert A. Cardona

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

COVID-19 → Illness

End of Watch April 15, 2020

Age 41

Tour of Duty 18 yrs 9 mo

Badge 7724

The Vigil Panel 380 · Column 1 · Line 18 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 1,221

Incident

Robert A. Cardona joined the New York City Police Department in July 2001, the first member of his family to wear the uniform. Two months later he took part in the search and recovery effort after the September 11 attacks, and he later developed cancer from that exposure. He fought it, went into remission and returned to work.

He served as a detective with the 13th Precinct Detective Squad in Gramercy Park, carrying shield 7724, and was a dedicated delegate of the Detectives' Endowment Association. His family remembered him as gentle and humble, a man who came whenever he was needed, at any hour.

He contracted COVID-19 during a presumed exposure on duty and died of its complications on 15 April 2020, at the age of 41, after nearly nineteen years with the department. He was survived by his eight-year-old son, Robert Jr.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Detective Robert A. Cardona died on April 15, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 41.

He is one of 885 officers honored here, and one of 18 at New York City Police Department.

Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.

Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.

Survivors

He is survived by his 8-year-old son.

In Our Keeping

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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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Also honored at requiem.nw. One record, 2 gates. Robert is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Detective Cardona gave the New York City Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Cardona.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department New York City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location New York, NY

Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 15, 2020

Tour of Duty 18 yrs 9 mo

Age 41

Badge Number 7724

Gender Male

Assignment 13th Precinct Detective Squad

Incident Details

Cause Illness

The Sacrifice · Illness

Robert is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2020, 346 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Robert was 41. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Robert had served 18.7 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.