Detective

Samuel A. Smith

Atlanta Police Department — Atlanta, GA
Accident
End of Watch October 24, 1932
Age 49
Tour of Duty 15 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Smith succumbed to injuries received in an automobile accident two days earlier. He was returning from Mabelton, Georgia, following an auto-theft investigation when his department vehicle was struck by another car and pushed into a telephone pole.

Detective Smith had served with the agency for 15 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Smith gave the Atlanta Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Smith.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Atlanta, Fulton County, GA
Platform Identity apd.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 24, 1932
Tour of Duty 15 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Automobile crash

The Sacrifice · Accident

Samuel is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1932, 110 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 4th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Samuel was 49. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Samuel had served 15 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

October holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Atlanta Police Department has 88 officers remembered here, Samuel among them.

Across the years

Detective Samuel A. Smith

Atlanta Police Department · End of Watch October 24, 1932

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 33-E

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