Coventry Police Museum: Fed members invited to new home for city’s heritage

16 October 2024

The manager of Coventry Police Museum has invited Federation members to visit the exhibition after it moved into its new permanent home last month.

The city has had its own police museum since 1957, when it was established within the basement of Coventry Central Police Station.

When this original location closed in 2020, the museum was restored the following year as a temporary ‘pop-up’ site on Hertford Street as part of Coventry’s new status as a UK City of Culture.

During this period, Helen Taylor joined efforts to oversee the museum’s care, becoming manager in February 2021.

Since then, tireless work has got into sourcing a location for a permanent exhibition once more, which has now materialised with a site at Coventry Council House on Earl Street.

The newly-housed museum opened its doors on 4 September, being officially opened in a ceremony attended by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, and Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford.

The newly-housed Coventry Police Museum is now open.

Helen said: “I am over the moon that the museum will live on in a forever home.

“It’s what Coventry deserves with its strong policing identity and history. The city has always seen itself as its own separate force despite amalgamating with Birmingham as West Midlands Police in 1974.

“We are very grateful for what we had at Hertford Street but it was only ever a temporary solution – the building we were in is due to be demolished.

“Our new home is very much welcomed because for a while, we didn’t know what was going to happen. All that worry and doubt is gone, now, and we are all very happy.”

New home

Instrumental in securing a permanent location was Corrine Brazier, heritage manager of West Midlands Police Museum, which itself reopened for good following uncertainty around its existence two years ago.

“Corrine reached out to Coventry Council to get the discussions going on a new home. She deserves a lot of credit because I think she has been a great leader in making sure the museum was never given up on,” Helen continued.

“As its sister site, I hope we can follow the success of West Midlands Police Museum and welcome many visitors over the coming months and years.”

Helen, whose extensive background in managing historical exhibitions includes the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, went on to praise the staff breathing new life into the Police Museum.

Aside from the 37-year-old, the team responsible for the day-to-day running of the premises are made up entirely of volunteers – many of whom are retired Coventry Police officers.

Coventry's history

“Our team is small but mighty. They’re the people who are allowing Coventry’s amazing history in policing to be shared with the public and, as a result, ensuring that heritage survives.

“They give up their own free time to show their commitment to the profession, even after giving so much already during their careers, to guide our guests through content, answer questions and tell stories from their service in the Force.”

In addition to this, visitors can also expect to see exclusive displays of the death mask of Mary Ball, the last woman to be publicly hanged in the city, and of Mohammed Daar, the Coventry cop who became the first Asian police officer in the country, as well as much more interesting detail on nearly 200 years of policing history.

The museum, located on the ground floor of the Council House, is currently open on Thursdays and Friday from 10am to 2pm, with admission free for all.

“It is a pleasure to welcome all of our visitors as the museum starts this new chapter, and we would always be excited to have serving police officers pay us a visit.

“I would encourage Federation members to come down, perhaps bring their children along for some discovery time, and get lost in the history of the job they dedicate themselves to.

“Whether you have a connection to Coventry or the wider West Midlands and even beyond, I’m sure there will be something that fascinates and captures the imagination of everyone,” Helen ended.