27-Year LAPD Veteran Becky V. Strong Dies From COVID-19

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Police Department today is mourning the death of a 27-year veteran officer due to complications of the COVID-19.

Officer Becky V. Strong became the department's eighth officer to die from the coronavirus. She died Monday morning, the LAPD announced on Twitter. Overall, the department has lost 10 employees to the virus — two civilians and eight officers. There had not been an LAPD coronavirus death since April when the COVID-19 vaccine became widely available and COVID-19 cases dropped dramatically.

Strong, whose age was not released, was most recently assigned to the department's South Division Traffic. She joined the department in 1994.

"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we mourn the loss of LAPD Police Officer Becky Strong, who passed away this morning from complications of COVID-19," the department said Monday night.

"Our deepest condolences go out to Officer Strong's entire family, colleagues, and friends in this most difficult time."

On Twitter her colleagues mourned her. The Los Angeles Police Protective League posted, "Our prayers and love go to the family and colleagues of LAPD Police Officer II Becky Strong who passed away from COVID-19 complications. Officer Strong faithfully protected our city for 27 years. RIP Officer Strong, you will be missed."

On July 27, LAPD Chief Michel Moore had indicated an LAPD employee was fighting for her life, tweeting that the employee was hospitalized in "very critical condition" due to COVID-19.

The department's last COVID-19 death was in April when Sgt. Anthony White, who had worked for the LAPD since 1990, died at age 54.

At that time, an additional 33 department employees had tested positive for the virus in the previous week, bringing the department's total to 2,760 positive cases. Eighty-one employees were recovering at home, and 2,692 had returned to work.

Vaccination rates among LAPD officers have lagged the general public since the start of the pandemic. As of early June, the LAPD reported that only 46.5 percent of officers had received their first and second vaccine doses compared to 62-percent of the general population. The lagging vaccination rates among fire and police personnel prompted city officials last week to require city workers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.