Roll of Honor
His Life
Detective Jewel Jenkins died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
Detective Jenkins had served with the New York City Police Department for 20 years and later served with the Richland County Police Department (SC) and the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services.
September 11, 2001 - The Years After
Detective Jewel Jenkins was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 47 years old that fall.
He died on May 24, 2020 - 18 years and 8 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 65.
He is one of 599 officers honored here, and one of 450 at New York City Police Department.
The most recent of these deaths was October 24, 2025.
Officers who worked the search, rescue, and recovery at the World Trade Center site breathed contaminated air for weeks and months afterward. Many developed cancers and respiratory disease, and they have gone on dying of it ever since.
Seventy-two officers were killed on the morning itself. Hundreds more have died in the years that followed. They are honored here together, because the same attack killed them all. With some it simply took longer.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, three sons, and four grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-62A022EE- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Detective Jenkins gave the New York City Police Department 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Jenkins.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
His Life Details
Detective Jewel Jenkins is one of 3,037 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.3% of all 32,586 officers honored here.
In NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 21.2 percentage points above the national rate of 9.3%.
At New York City Police Department, 538 of 1237 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 43.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jewel Jenkins's cause is highlighted.
How Jewel Jenkins Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Jewel Jenkins is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1,236 officers from New York City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
