Roll of Honor
Gilbert Polanco
Incident
Sergeant Gilbert Polanco died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among staff and inmates at San Quentin State Prison.
Sergeant Polanco was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 34 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Gilbert Polanco died on August 9, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 55.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 3 at California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
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 wife, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-9D0DB498- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sergeant Polanco gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 34 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Polanco.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Gilbert Polanco served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant Gilbert Polanco is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CA, 75 of 1,837 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.1% of this state's fallen. That is 5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 3 of 42 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 7.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gilbert Polanco's cause is highlighted.
How Gilbert Polanco Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Gilbert Polanco is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
41 officers from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
