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Police Officer Helen P. Cardwell | Chicago Police Department, Illinois
Chicago Police Department, Illinois

Police Officer

Helen P. Cardwell

Chicago Police Department, Illinois

End of Watch: Thursday, May 19, 1988

Biographical Info

Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: May 19, 1988
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

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