San Antonio Police Department, Texas
End of Watch Monday, February 1, 2021
Add to My HeroesJoseph Anthony Cisneros, Jr.
Police Officer Joseph Cisneros died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Cisneros had served with the San Antonio Police Department for over 20 years. He is survived by his wife, two children, father, mother, and brother.
The Effects of COVID on Law Enforcement
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.
Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.
Bio
- Age 43
- Tour 20 years, 6 months
- Badge 0094
Incident Details
- Cause COVID19
- Incident Date Monday, January 4, 2021
Most Recent Reflection
View all 7 ReflectionsI met Joe when I was West Patrol B- Shift and he was on Central B- shift. From time to time after 2001, I would hop over to make calls in Central as the 51 Section (My district was 5112B) bordered Central. We had similar acquaintances and friends both on and off the department. We would cross paths during work, training, in-service and much later when I transferred to the San Antonio Police Department Intelligence Unit. The unit was renamed the San Antonio Regional Intelligence Center and to a new intelligence led policing approach. After receiving our DHS blessing, we were renamed the Southwest Texas Fusion Center.
Joe came to our unit in 2016, and we were both coordinators for the department's Crime Stoppers program. Joe had originally ran the program from the SAPD Repeat Offenders Unit (ROP). When the program came to our unit, Joe was a sure fit. Joe was a true presence. He was intelligent, quick witted, and had a great sense of humor. Our conversations were legendary. Seamlessly jumping from sports and home improvements to history, guns, and food. We discussed our faith. He had such a good memory for things, so it made him hard to beat a trivia.
He loved being a police officer, but he loved his family most. His family was his world. I will deeply miss our laughs and the unique perspective he brought to every conversation.
Officer Ruben Gonzales
San Antonio Police Department/ Southwest Texas Fusion Center
March 2, 2026
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