Joseph F. Higgins

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL

Cardiac

End of Watch March 23, 1975

Age 43

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Badge 9956

The Vigil Panel 115 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 570

Incident

Police Officer Joseph F. Higgins suffered a fatal heart attack while struggling with a burglary suspect inside a vacant building at 1735 West 99th Street.

Survivors

Officer Higgins had served with the Chicago Police Department for 18 years and was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-5BCA8D50
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Higgins gave the Chicago Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Higgins.

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

Agency

Department Chicago Police Department

Location Chicago, IL

Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 23, 1975

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 43

Badge Number 9956

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Weapon Person

Offender Not available

Police Officer Joseph F. Higgins is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IL, 45 of 1,318 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.6 percentage points below the national rate of 4%.

At Chicago Police Department, 17 of 571 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3% of this agency's fallen.

Chicago Police Department

of 571 officers

3% Cardiac

IL — Statewide

of 1,318 officers

3.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac