At the entrance of the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police (DGP), a granite statue stands tall. This is the Police Memorial. The structure, with its commanding presence, is a place for the force to honour the sacrifices made by those in uniform.

As a mark of respect to police personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, cadre from the Armed Reserve Unit perform a gun salute every year on Police Commemoration Day (October 21). The police band also performs, and the Caparisoned Mounted Horse Unit are deployed around the memorial.

The sculpture, which was unveiled on October 18, 2009, by the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, was designed by veteran artist A.V. Ilango. At its base, two policemen are seen — one pulling a victim to safety and the other subduing a criminal. The middle portion shows officers shielding a leader. At the top, a lone officer raises the national flag shown swaying in the wind.

Police Commemoration Day marks the 1959 Chinese ambush of a Central Reserve Police Force patrol, led by Sub-Inspector Karam Singh, at Hot Springs in Ladakh, where 10 jawans lost their life.