Street Sign Honors Memory Of Former Naperville Police Chief

NAPERVILLE, IL — Part of Naperville's School Street has a new name to honor a police chief who died at the intersection more than 90 years ago. During a ceremony on Tuesday, the area on School Street from Washington to Ellsworth, was named Chief Robert Worthel Memorial Day to commemorate the fallen chief.

Worthel died on Sept. 24, 1927, after his squad car was hit by another car as he sped to the scene of a crime. Members of Worthel's family were in attendance at Tuesday's ceremony, as were current members of the Naperville Police Department.

In addition to the street sign dedications, the ceremony included a memorial chair that bears Worthel's name and was designed by Texas-based "Saving a Hero's Place." The chair will take its place in the Naperville Police Department's roll call room as a "reminder to all officers that the department’s fallen member is always with them," NPD wrote on Facebook.

To date, Worthel is the only Naperville police officer to be killed in the line of duty.