Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer James Svec died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Svec had served with the Chicago Police Department for 20 years and was assigned to the Uniformed Support Division.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer James Svec died on December 8, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 59.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 7 at Chicago 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 three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-6C49C185- 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.
Police Officer Svec gave the Chicago Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Svec.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer James Svec is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In IL, 66 of 1,318 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Chicago Police Department, 46 of 571 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Svec's cause is highlighted.
How James Svec Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. James Svec is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
570 officers from Chicago Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
