Integrity, Service, Pride comprises the motto of the Illinois State Police. However, to the men and women who serve the agency - and the families who stand beside them - these three words are more than a motto. They are core values.

The memorial park focuses on the three core values and the honor associated with these values. These values are expressed both symbolically and literally in the various features a visitor to the park will experience.

Within the park will be a sequence of experiences which will instill in the visitor a sense of the dedication of the fallen officers of the Illinois State Police, the sacrifice made by them and their families, and the gratitude that is their due. The sequence begins with the commencement of an officer's Service - following a call to serve in law enforcement. One then follows the "path of service" of an officer - a life with purpose and direction, defined by duty.

The sequence involves passing through a transitional area which speaks to the brokenness experienced when an officer's life is cut short and culminates at a sacred place which pays homage to the Integrity of the officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. As part of this culmination, each officer is memorialized by name and hometown. One then follows along a return sequence which includes a special place set aside to commemorate the virtue of Pride as part of the character of an officer.

Through the intimate memorial inscriptions, the sculptural elements, the hardscape materials and the landscaping features, the visitor will experience a sense of the instilled pride of the men and women who serve the Illinois State Police and the gratitude, honor and respect they afford their fallen comrades, as well as their comrades' families, who have made the ultimate sacrifice.