Harold A. Jacob

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

Cardiac

End of Watch January 18, 1967

Age 58

Tour of Duty 33 yrs

Badge 180

The Vigil Panel 102 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 1,221

Incident

Harold A. Jacob, known as Harry, Buddy and Jake, was born and raised in Hell's Kitchen and joined the New York City Police Department on 1 November 1933. He spent thirteen years in the 17th Precinct. In 1945 he was hospitalised after three burglars he was arresting attacked him, and soon afterward he was made a detective and assigned to the Safe, Loft and Truck Squad, where he worked the garment district for 21 years. He was cited more than forty times, was promoted to first grade in 1954, and turned down chances to work inside because he preferred the streets of the borough where he was born.

On 18 January 1967 he and his partners heard shots in a building on West 35th Street. He saw a man running from the scene and ordered him to drop his weapon. The man fired at the officers and was shot during the chase, and he died as the detectives reached him. Detective Jacob went back to the lobby to help a wounded messenger lying on the floor, and there he collapsed with a massive heart attack. He was pronounced dead at St. Vincent's Hospital.

He had been married to his wife, Dorothy, for 35 years, and they had six children. His son Henry took his place on the squad and was given his father's shield, 180, and two of his grandchildren became sergeants. In June 1968 he was posthumously awarded the department's Medal of Honor.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four sons, and one daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

33 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Jacob gave the New York City Police Department 33 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Jacob.

— 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 January 18, 1967

Tour of Duty 33 yrs

Age 58

Badge Number 180

Gender Male

Assignment Safe, Loft, and Truck Squad

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

Harold is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1967, 19 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 12th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Harold was 58. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. Harold had served 33 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.