In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and designated the week in which it falls as National Police Week. Since then, agencies around the country have developed various ways to honor their officers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

This year, the state of Illinois is undertaking a particularly ambitious effort to recognize its fallen heroes. On April 1, Illinois State Trooper Day, Governor JB Pritzker announced that a set of standardized memorials will be installed along highways across the state.

“The lives and legacies of our fallen State Police officers deserve to be honored for generations to come, and we will ensure that no sacrifice goes unrecognized,” Pritzker said, according to an Illinois State Police (ISP) press release.

While impactful, the project is not entirely new. A number of signs and placards already exist to honor troopers who died in the line of duty. However, according to ISP Director Brendan Kelly, a review of existing memorial signage revealed notable gaps: not all fallen officers were commemorated, designs varied widely and placement was inconsistent. The new initiative seeks to address these issues by standardizing both the appearance and placement of memorial signs. The effort is a collaboration among the ISP, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Tollway and the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation. Installation of the new signage is expected over the coming months.

“The Illinois Tollway relies on the ISP  to protect and assist the drivers and workers on our system and we’re proud to participate in this initiative to ensure the sacrifices made by these fallen troopers are properly honored,” llinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse said.

Tragically, there is no shortage of officers to honor. Since the ISP’s founding in 1922, a total of 73 officers have died in the line of duty. The agency’s first line-of-duty death occurred in 1924, when Trooper Albert Hasson was struck and killed by a vehicle.To recognize their sacrifice, the state’s General Assembly began passing resolutions in 2011 to designate stretches of various highways in honor of fallen ISP officers. The first memorial sign is believed to have been installed on State Highway 13, commemorating Trooper Lory Price, who was murdered in 1927, along with his wife, by the notorious Charlie Birger Gang.

While Illinois’ plan stands out for its scope, it is far from the only effort taking place nationwide. Agencies across the U.S. continue to find meaningful ways to remember the fallen. In Ohio, for example, a state representative introduced legislation late last year to name a highway in honor of Lorain Police Officer Phillip Wagner, who was ambushed and killed in July 2025 while eating lunch with another officer.

On the West Coast, the Palo Alto Police Department in California this year has invited the community to attend a memorial service honoring Reserve Officer Lester Cole, Officer Gene Clifton and Reserve Officer Theodore Brassinga. The service will be held adjacent to Memorial Grove, where three towering coast redwood trees, planted in 1955, stand as a living tribute to the fallen.

In Wisconsin, National Police Week will carry a different kind of weight for one department. In June 2025, Milwaukee Police Officer Kendall Corder was shot and killed by Tremaine Jones, who opened fire on Corder and another officer before fleeing the scene. Jones was later apprehended, and on April 3 of this year, found guilty of murder. In a statement following the verdict, the Milwaukee Police Department said its “thoughts are with [the involved officers] and Officer Corder’s family at the conclusion of the case.” Corder was the sixth Milwaukee officer to die in the line of duty since 2018.

As communities prepare to observe Peace Officers Memorial Day this year, these efforts — large and small — serve as powerful reminders of the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers and their families. They also offer an opportunity for the public to recognize the risks officers face every day in service to their communities.