Joseph K. Whitford, Jr.

Honolulu Police Department — Honolulu, HI

Accident Veteran

End of Watch October 28, 1962

Age 38

Tour of Duty 10 yrs 10 mo

The Vigil Panel 97 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 50

Incident

Officer Joseph Whitford was struck by a passing vehicle while citing a motorist for a traffic violation at 2:00 am. He had stopped the vehicle on Kamehameha Highway near the Hawaiian Electric Company generating plant at Waiau when a motorist struck him. He was transported to Queen's Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Officer Whitford was a United States Coast Guard veteran and served with the Honolulu Police Department for over ten years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-HI-BE46740E
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

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.
Officer Whitford gave the Honolulu Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Honolulu community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Honolulu Police Department

Location Honolulu, HI

Platform Identity hpd.honolulu.hi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 28, 1962

Tour of Duty 10 yrs 10 mo

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Joseph K. Whitford, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Officer Joseph K. Whitford, Jr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In HI, 28 of 64 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 43.8% of this state's fallen. That is 12.8 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Honolulu Police Department, 28 of 51 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 54.9% of this agency's fallen.

Honolulu Police Department

of 51 officers

54.9% Accident

HI — Statewide

of 64 officers

43.8% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident