Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Joseph Spinosa

Sands Point Police Department — Port Washington, NY

Illness

End of Watch April 15, 2020

Age 52

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

The Vigil Panel 171 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Spinosa died as the result of contracting COVID-19 while on duty.

Sergeant Spinosa had served with the Sands Point Police Department for 19 years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Sergeant Joseph Spinosa died on April 15, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 52.

He is one of 884 officers honored here.

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 mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-9928BA8F
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 Spinosa gave the Sands Point Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Port Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Spinosa.

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

Agency

Department Sands Point Police Department

Location Port Washington, NY

Platform Identity sppd.nassau.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 15, 2020

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Age 52

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail COVID19

Sergeant Joseph Spinosa 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 NY, 629 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 29.3% of this state's fallen. That is 20.2 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

Sands Point Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Illness

NY — Statewide

629

of 2,147 officers

29.3% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Spinosa's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Joseph Spinosa Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Illness: 47.8 years

Years of Service