This month marks 100 years since Police Commissioner of the day Walter Dinnie issued a memorandum requesting that "items used in important crimes" be forwarded to Police National Headquarters to be used as examples of their kind. To celebrate, the New Zealand Police Museum is hosting the second International Police Museums' Conference at The Royal NZ Police College, Porirua from 19-22 February. The first conference was held in 2000 in Budapest, Hungary to mark their National Police Week.
The conference will be attended by 25 delegates from specialised police museums around the world, including Australia, USA; Canada; England, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, Cambodia and Hong Kong. "It's exciting to think of that amount of expertise together in one room," says Ms Yates. Delegates will be welcomed to the museum with a powhiri on Tuesday at 5pm and as well as the day-to-day business of the conference, will visit the NZ Police Dog Training Centre at Trentham, and Te Papa Tongarewa.
One of the conference's three keynote speakers is Laurie Baty of the National Law Enforcement Museum, Washington DC. As the Senior Director Museum Programs Laurie's mandate is to create a facility that the almost 900,000 active duty law enforcement officers in the USA's 18,000 policing agencies will be able to identify with on an emotional level as well as representing what it means to them to be a police officer.
Conference delegates will discuss forming an international police museums association and NZ Police Museum Manager Kamaya Yates is confident that this goal can be well advanced at this week's conference. "Many collections are transitioning from amateur or 'police-kept' facilities into professional museums and need the support of an international association."
Ms Yates sees the challenge for the NZ Police Museum as it enters its second century as seeking to move beyond the core museum functions of presentation, interpretation and display. She says the museum must actively engage with the community to promote Police's goal of 'Safer communities together'. To this end she and her staff have re-worked a number of existing displays to challenge visitors to consider past police operations in their context of contributing to the growth of New Zealand as a community.
The conference will culminate on Saturday 23 February with the Police Open Day at the College from 10am to 4pm.
*****************************************************
**Things to watch for this week:
• New banner erected on the front of the museum building, visible from Aotea Lagoon and further afield, "100yrs of NZ Police Museum, Celebrating Policing History".
• Eight cars from the NZ Police Museum collection on-site at RNZPC and on show at the Open Day include a 1921 Model T Ford 'paddy wagon', 1946 Ford Coupe, 1955 Humber Super Snipe, 1958 FC Holden, 1964 EH Holden, 1975 HQ Holden Kingswood, 1988 Mitsubishi V3000 and a 1990 Ford Falcon EA.
• NZ Police Open Day for members of the public to view and enjoy at RNZPC, Saturday 23 February, 10am to 4pm
***************************************************
For information about the NZ Police Museum visit www.police.govt.nz/about-us/history/museum
********************************************************
For more information about the Museum centenary celebration, the International Police Museums Conference or to attend any of the conference events or tours please contact: Katrina Graham, Communications Adviser - 04 238 3572 or 0274 419 216