Roll of Honor
Incident
Corporal Debbie Simpson-Rosario died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Corporal Rosario served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 23 years and was assigned to the Police Training Center.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Corporal Deborah Simpson-Rosario died on August 28, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 58.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 8 at Philadelphia 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
She is survived by her four children and ten grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-ADEA6BF4- 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
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Corporal Simpson-Rosario gave the Philadelphia Police Department 23 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Simpson-Rosario.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Corporal Deborah Simpson-Rosario 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 PA, 121 of 1,261 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.6% of this state's fallen. That is 9.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Philadelphia Police Department, 66 of 378 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 17.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Deborah Simpson-Rosario's cause is highlighted.
How Deborah Simpson-Rosario Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Deborah Simpson-Rosario is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
377 officers from Philadelphia Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
