May 18, 2024
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Will County Law Enforcement Memorial Day ceremony will be Thursday

Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by procession to Memorial Wall at old courthouse

By Bob Okon

Police officers stand at attention during a past Law Enforcement Day ceremony held outside the old Will County Courthouse.

The 43rd annual Law Enforcement Memorial Day for Will County will be Thursday in Joliet.

The public is invited to the event, which in large part is held to recognize police officers and other law enforcement officials who have died in the line of duty.

The event will begin with a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church, 127 S. Briggs St. in Joliet.

The Mass will be followed by a noon procession to the Memorial Wall located on the north lawn of the old Will County Courthouse at the intersection of Jefferson and Ottawa streets in downtown Joliet.

Police officers gather for a Will County Law Enforcement Day service held two years ago. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

“In honoring these law enforcement officers who gave their all, the association extends its tribute to their families, friends and fellow officers who continue to cherish their heroic legacies,” Tracy Chapman, president of the Police Chiefs Association of Will County and deputy director of the Forest Preserve District of Will County, said in a news release announcing the event.

The Memorial Wall contains the names of 37 law enforcement officials who have died in the course of duty in Will County.

The engraved names represent 10 from the Illinois Department of Corrections; eight from the Joliet Police Department; six from the Will County Sheriff’s Office; five from the Illinois State Police; two each from the Lockport Police Department and the Crest Hill Police Department; and one each from the Frankfort Police Department, Illinois Conservation Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Will County Probation Department.

“The sacrifices made by these individuals are deeply acknowledged,” Chapman said in the release.