Georgia police officer dies at home – Law Officer

ATHENS, Ga. – Senior Police Officer Rebecca “Becky” Croxton, a 26-year veteran of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, died this week, according to a press statement from the agency.

Croxton had experience working several assignments during her career. Athens-Clarke Police Chief Jerry Saulters announced the senior officer’s passing on the department’s Facebook page:

It is with sadness and a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of our colleague and friend, SPO Becky Croxton.

SPO Croxton was a 26-year veteran of ACCPD who served our agency with dedication and professionalism. SPO Croxton had a unique ability to connect with people and always displayed compassion, empathy, and kind-heartedness. During her time with us, SPO Croxton served in various roles as a police officer. She spent time in patrol operations, criminal investigations, forensics, and most recently the administration.

During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go out to SPO Croxton’s family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones. We recognize the pain and sorrow they are experiencing, and we extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to them. We will continue to support them through this loss and offer any assistance they may need.

The cause of Croxton’s death on Tuesday was not released. She died at a private residence, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. 

According to Croxton’s LinkedIn page, she graduated from the University of Georgia in 1996 and, as mentioned by the chief, had several roles at the police department. She worked in the robbery/homicide unit from 2003 to 2005 and was assigned to forensics from January 2005 to February 2011.

In addition to her education from UGA, she also had degrees from Piedmont College and Cuyamaca College in California.

Croxton is a native of Savannah, but spent many of her formative years in San Diego where her mother encouraged her to read, according to an interview she gave the Athens Banner-Herald in 2014.

“There was magic in books, worlds to be discovered,” Croxton said. “For me, at least, the thought that someone created words and put them together on paper to take me to Middle Earth or another planet was the height of mankind’s ability.”

Croxton held a degree in English literature and originally wanted to teach college literature. Since she worked as a waitress while attending the University of Georgia, she got to know some of the police officers who dined there and discovered how they helped people, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

Being a crime victim as a child, she was inspired to become and police officer, later graduating from the police academy in 1997.

Funeral arrangements are pending.