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National Law Enforcement Museum seeks historical artifacts

Do you have Eliot Ness’s badge? Is Grandpa’s old “billy club” gathering dust in your basement? If you can prove these items are the real thing, you can help build the National Law Enforcement Museum’s collection of historical law enforcement items. Dig through your basement and rummage through your attic; you may have an item we could add to our permanent collection.

We’re seeking:

  • Uniforms, gear, equipment, communications tools, badges, vehicles, and weapons, particularly items involved in interesting events or that have historical significance (e.g., first examples, those that show changes in technology, etc.)
  • Evidence from significant 19th and 20th century crimes-such as items belonging to notorious criminals
  • Pieces of evidence used for the first time or in significant cases utilizing forensic methodology (fingerprints, tread analysis, hair samples, type comparisons, etc.)
  • Items showing law enforcement in pop culture (contemporary and historical), including movie posters, comic books, pulp fiction, action figures, general memorabilia
  • Academy training manuals, textbooks, videos, and equipment demonstrating the instruction law enforcement officers receive
  • Objects or documents from notable law enforcement officers (e.g., Wyatt Earp, Teddy Roosevelt, Eliot Ness)
  • Law enforcement gazettes, newspapers, broadsides, unpublished memoirs, and photographs

Items accessioned into the NLEM’s collection will receive the highest standards of care, will be thoroughly researched, and will enable the general public and generations to come to better understand the law enforcement profession and its relationship with American society. All items accepted into the NLEM collection will be acknowledged and will be tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

For more information, contact Exhibitions Coordinator Kim Hanser at (703) 278-0791 or kim@nleomf.com.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 to generate increased public support for the law enforcement profession by permanently recording and appropriately commemorating the service and sacrifice of all federal, state and local law enforcement officers; and to provide information that will help promote law enforcement safety.

The NLEOMF built and now operates the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., which contains the names of more than 16,000 officers killed in the line of duty; helps organize the annual National Police Week tribute to fallen law enforcement officers each May; runs an Officer of the Month Program; serves as a clearinghouse of information about police officers killed in the line of duty; and will open the doors to the National Law Enforcement Museum in 2008.

We’re excited to offer Craig’s insight to our readers and members. Just another reason why Police1 is always on the cutting edge for the Law Enforcement community.

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