The virtue of honesty, evidenced at Illinois State Fair         

[AUG. 16, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD - Honesty still occurs at the Illinois State Fair. State Police District 9 Commander Captain Dennis Sloman stated, “Integrity is commonly displayed by fair goers during the fair.”

One of the many services performed by the Illinois State Police during the State Fair is providing for lost and found items. Captain Dennis Sloman stated, “Year after year we have hundreds of people turn in items found throughout the fairgrounds. We have had unusual items turned in like dentures, a walking cane and even a prosthetic leg. We also have more common items turned in like cell phones, wallets and US Currency.”

Recently, a fair goer found the $81.00 in loose US currency, which consisted of three twenty-dollar bills, one five-dollar bill, and sixteen one-dollar bills.

A short time later a young girl and her mother came to ISP headquarters on the fairgrounds to report the young girl had just lost the money she had saved for the fair. The young girl explained she had made some purchases at the fair, but knew she had three or four twenties and sixteen one-dollar bills.

Both were delighted to find the money had been located and turned in to an Illinois State Police Trooper, who had relayed the money to headquarters to be entered into the lost and found.

Illinois State Police reunited a young lady with $81.00 in cash. Sloman stated, “ This just goes to show that honesty is a core value for most people and it makes you feel good to see this young girl get her money back and enjoy the fair”.

[News release]