The New Zealand Police Museum specialises in police related objects and ephemera. 

Research enquiries regarding the Museum collection, Police personnel, and history should be submitted through the Official Information Act (OIA) request form. In the ‘What information do you require’ field, write MUSEUM first, then your enquiry.

Research fees may apply, for details please refer to Museum Enquiries at the bottom of this page.

Police Records and Personal Files

Archives New Zealand is the official repository for government archives. For access to Police records (including access to personal files for genealogical research) contact or visit Archives New Zealand.

Search Archives New Zealand online using Archway.
Access to Police records is restricted until 100 years from date of closure, or 70 years from date of closure for Police Gazettes.

Criminal Records

To find out about access to criminal records visit the Ministry of Justice website.

General Police History

Most districts of New Zealand have a book outlining the history of policing in their local area. To view a list of books about policing in New Zealand visit the Police history page.

Most of these titles will be available through your local library. Alternatively contact the Police Museum to purchase any of the books on the list via the Museum shop.

Mug Shots

As part of the online exhibition 'Suspicious Looking: 19th Century Mug Shots from the New Zealand Police Museum' we have made a number of previously unaccessible mug shots available online. The images provided online may be used for educational or non-commercial purposes. The Museum is not able to provide higher quality reproductions of the photographs, nor any additional information on the individuals in the mug shots. To learn more about the people in the images and the crimes they committed, you can try searching old newspapers online using the National Library of New Zealand's digitised archive 'Papers Past'.

Museum enquiries

T (04) 238 3141
E museum@police.govt.nz

New Zealand Police Museum charging schedule for research enquiries: Charging schedule (PDF, 271KB) 

Museum Enquiries

P (04) 238 3141
E Police Museum contact form

Location

New Zealand Police Museum
Royal New Zealand Police College
Papakowhai Road
Porirua, Wellington

Opening hours

10am – 5pm every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday.

Admission

General admission is free. Pre-planned tours and educational programmes:

• museum events (except Christmas Day and Good Friday)
• adults $5
• school holiday programmes $5
• senior citizens $3
• students $3

Amenities

Wheelchair access, free parking, rest-room.

Social story (PDF, 12.4MB)

The Museum also has a small onsite gift shop. You can purchase police souvenirs, children’s toys and police history books. We stock the popular police dog soft toy puppy in either the mako vest or dress uniform.

All shop product is supplied by The Cop Shop (Munro Canteen Inc).

Staff

Rowan Carroll
Chief Curator New Zealand Police

Jessica Aitken
Curator Collections

Kate Ngatokorua
Kaiako Pouwhakarite education and public programmes

Jenna Logan
Education Officer

Front of house team:
museum@police.govt.nz