Reserve Police Officer Benjamin Kauffman

Benjamin Kauffman

Reserve Police Officer Benjamin Kauffman died as a result of contracting the Spanish Influenza as he and other officers transported the bodies of influenza victims. Officer Kauffman began to feel ill and was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he died of complications of Spanish Influenza before midnight.

Due to the devastation of the Spanish Influenza pandemic, Philadelphia Police districts were used as makeshift hospitals. Police officers were ordered to fill and deliver prescriptions, act as pallbearers of victims, placard homes, collect bodies of victims in homes, assist doctors and health officers, and make sure establishments were closed and following guidelines to stop the spread of the flu.

Reserve Police Officer Kauffman served with the Philadelphia Police Department for almost 17 years. He was survived by his wife and four children.

Effects of the 1918-1920 Influenza Pandemic on Law Enforcement

Also known as "Spanish Flu" or "LaGrippe," the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to early 1920, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The effect of the influenza epidemic in the United States was so dire that the average life span in the U.S. fell by twelve years. The four waves of the flu began in March 1918 and ended in April 1920. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job.

The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Influenza Pandemic will likely never be known. Still, ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission never to forget the fallen.

Please click here to view ODMP's Influenza memorial, listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.