Joseph A. Peters

North Bergen Police Department — North Bergen, NJ

Illness

End of Watch July 7, 1981

The Vigil Panel 124 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Patrolman Peters died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of a defective patrol car. Patrolman Peters was staking out an illegal dump site and, when he failed to report in, other officers found his body in the patrol car. Another officer who was using the patrol car several days earlier was in the hospital as a result of carbon monoxide after being exposed to it as well. Although the officer was hospitalized the car was never ordered to be serviced and was reassigned to Patrolman Peters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NJ-F7AB056D
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.
Patrolman Peters served with the North Bergen Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the North Bergen community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Peters.

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

Agency

Department North Bergen Police Department

Location North Bergen, NJ

Platform Identity nbpd.hudson.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 7, 1981

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Patrolman Joseph A. Peters 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 NJ, 77 of 646 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 11.9% of this state's fallen. That is 2.8 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At North Bergen Police Department, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 25% of this agency's fallen.

North Bergen Police Department

of 4 officers

25% Illness

NJ — Statewide

of 646 officers

11.9% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness