International Police Museum
Welcome to the International Police Museum
Our purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret police culture, history, and heritage of police departments for the public; to foster mutual appreciation, understanding, and respect between police and the public they serve by way of education and demystification of law enforcement through presentations and displays of loaned and owned uniforms, equipment, and ephemera as outlined in the bylaws of the International Police Museum.
Featured Exhibit
Women in Law Enforcement
While Alice Stebbins Wells of Los Angeles PD gets credit for being the first female officer in the U.S., she was actually preceded by an Oregonian, Lola Greene Baldwin of the Portland Police Bureau, who was sworn in as a “female detective” on April 1, 1908. Since that time women have become a valuable asset and are significant contributors to the law enforcement community, both in the United States and internationally. Women now make up nearly 14% of officers in the United States (Bureau of Justice Statistics). The Museum is proud to recognize their achievements with a new exhibit to coincide with the recognition of Law Enforcement Memorial Day, May 15, 2016.