Illinois to install memorial signs honoring fallen state troopers

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., (KBSI) — Illinois officials announced plans to install memorial signs honoring every Illinois State Police trooper killed in the line of duty.

The initiative, announced on Illinois Trooper Day, is a joint effort involving the Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Tollway and the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation.

Officials said 73 state troopers have died in the line of duty since the agency began operations in 1922. The first was Trooper Albert J. Hasson, who was struck and killed by a vehicle in 1924.

The project will standardize memorial signage across the state, ensuring each fallen officer is recognized along Illinois roadways. Transportation officials said the signs will serve as a reminder to drivers of the risks troopers face while protecting the public.

Work to install the signs is expected to take place over the coming months.