Joseph A. Burke

Troy Police Department — Troy, NY

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 20, 1932

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 64 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Officer Joseph Burke was killed in a motorcycle accident on Spring Street while en route to direct school traffic nearby. It is believed that his motorcycle tipped over as he attempted to come to a stop behind a truck that had just stopped.

He was taken to Troy Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries four hours later.

Officer Burke was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Troy Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, mother, brother, and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-44D1AFFD
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 salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Joseph is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Burke gave the Troy Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Troy community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Troy Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Troy, Rensselaer County, NY

Platform Identity tpd.rensselaer.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 20, 1932

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Joseph A. Burke served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Joseph A. Burke is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In NY, 645 of 2,147 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 30 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Troy Police Department, 2 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.

Troy Police Department

of 7 officers

28.6% Accident

NY — Statewide

645

of 2,147 officers

30% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident