Helen P. Cardwell
Agency patch
Police Officer

Helen P. Cardwell

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Accident
End of Watch May 19, 1988
Age 50
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Badge 1181
The Vigil Panel 133 ›
Gender Female

Incident

Police Officer Helen P. Cardwell was killed in a vehicle crash in the 1900 block of South Sacramento Drive. She was on her way to exchange an unmarked squad car for her assigned car when her vehicle left the roadway and struck two trees. She was removed from the car by firefighters and, at 10:45 a.m., was pronounced dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Officer Cardwell became a police officer in 1970. She had been assigned to the Speaker's Unit of the Senior Citizens Division since its establishment in 1982. Several times each day, Officer Cardwell would meet with the elderly to teach them the simple but crucial rules of crime prevention. In her career, Officer Cardwell collected one honorable mention and 127 letters of commendation.

Survivors

She was survived by her husband, also a police officer in the Deering District, a son, and a brother.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Cardwell gave the Chicago Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Cardwell.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Chicago, Cook County, IL
Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 19, 1988
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Age 50
Badge Number 1181
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Helen is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1988, 80 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 27th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Helen was 50. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Helen had served 18 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where she stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

Her people

Chicago Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Helen among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Helen P. Cardwell

Chicago Police Department · End of Watch May 19, 1988

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 18-W

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