Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Ronald G. Becker Jr.

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

Veteran → Illness

End of Watch August 19, 2012

Age 53

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 161 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 1,236

Incident

Police Officer Ronald Becker died from illnesses he contracted after inhaling toxic materials as he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Officer Becker was a U.S. Navy veteran. He had served with the New York City Police Department for 20 years and was assigned to the 42nd Precinct in the Bronx.

September 11, 2001 - The Years After

Police Officer Ronald G. Becker Jr. was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 43 years old that fall.

He died on August 19, 2012 - 10 years and 11 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 53.

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, two daughter, son, mother, and two siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-205333C6
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Ronald. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Ronald is one person.

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Tributes

You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Police Officer Becker gave the New York City Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Becker.

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

Agency

Department New York City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location New York, NY

Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 19, 2012

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

Military Service

Ronald G. Becker Jr. served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Ronald G. Becker Jr. 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 NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 30.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

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.

New York City Police Department

538

of 1,237 officers

43.5% Illness

NY — Statewide

655

of 2,147 officers

30.5% Illness

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Illness