The Baltimore Police Department opened the doors to its new museum Friday morning.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time,” said Kenneth Driscoll, a retired detective of the department who also helped get this project underway. “It means a lot to see it finally opened.”
The museum is filled with 233 years of the department’s history and traditions.
“We got to let some of the younger police know about their history,” said Driscoll. “When you learn things like our motto and things like that it does instill pride. So for that reason we thought it was important.”
Photos and artifacts fill the museum. The museum even holds an old jail cell. According to the department, one of its oldest artifacts is an 1847 Desk Sergeant’s logbook from the Southern District. The museum takes you on a trip through the history of what the department has been through over the years.
“We did it not only for the police officers who serve now, but those who have served in the past,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. “We also did it for the community.”
The museum is an effort to bridge the gap between the police department and the people it serves.
“I think all too often people only come in to police headquarters because they work in here or they’re being accused of a crime,” said Commissioner Davis. “We want to move that veil of secrecy and we want this police department as much as it can be to be more inviting to the community.”
The department invites the public to check out the museum for themselves. The Baltimore Police Museum will be open to the public for two days during the week during business hours Fridays and Saturdays.
