Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4034 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MARCH 2016 by Steven Groeninger T he National Law Enforce- ment Officers Memorial Fund recently an- nounced they have secured the financing necessary to build the National Law Enforcement Museum with an opening expected sched- uled for in mid-2018. The Museum was autho- rized by the U.S. Congress in 2000, and it will be built on Federal property right across the street from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in his- toric Judiciary Square. 57, 0 0 0 s q u a r e f o o t institution in our nation’s capital The 57,000-square-foot facility will feature high-tech interactive exhibits that will allow visitors to experience what it is like to walk in the shoes of a law enforcement officer. The National Law Enforce- ment Museum, which will be built mostly underground, has been designed by the Washington, DC-based firm of Davis Buckley Architects and Planners, the same ar- chitects who designed the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. “The incredible story of American law enforcement has never been told,” noted Craig Floyd, chairman and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Me- morial Fund (NLEOMF), the non-profit organization that’s building the Museum. “Now, more than ever, we need a museum that will help our citizens better understand and appreciate the work our peace officers perform each day. It will go a long way toward strengthening the bond between officers and the citizens they serve and protect.” Law enforcement is – and has always been – an integral part of the American story. From Wyatt Earp in the Western Frontier, to J. Edgar Hoover in the “gangster era,” to the first responders on 9- 11, law enforcement works at the point of conflict, running toward danger when others would flee. “These rich stories will fill the museum as it takes its place among the other great cultural institutions and popular attractions in our nation’s capital,” said Joe Urschel, executive director of the National Law Enforce- ment Museum. Exhibits planned for the Museum include a firearms training simulator; a 911 emergency call center; a forensics science lab; and a “Reel to Real” exhibit that will compare Hollywood’s version of law enforcement to reality. It will be an eye-opening educational and entertaining experience for visitors of all ages, Floyd explained. “The heart and soul of the Museum will be the Hall of Remembrance,” Floyd said. “That’s where visitors can learn about the more than 20,000 officers whose names are inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial across the street.” Included in this exhibit area will be a rotation of the many thousands of me- mentos that have been left at the Memorial since it was dedicated in 1991. Craig Floyd added that more than 17,000 artifacts, dating back to the early 1700s, have already been collected for display in the Museum. Amongthoseartifacts are the original creden- tials of Eliot Ness, head of the “Untouchables,” the “RoboCop 2” cos- tume from the movie, the gun and badge that belonged to Sheriff Pat Garrett, the man who killed “Billy the Kid,” gangster Al Capone’s bullet-proof vest, the U.S. Park Police heli- copter used in the 1982 Air Florida crash res- cue mission in Wash- ington, DC, the desk and other items used by legendary FBI Di- rector J. Edgar Hoover, and the car and other evidence presented at the trials of the two serial killers arrested, tried and convicted of the notorious 2002 Washington, DC-area sniper attacks. TheMuseumwillcost approximately $102 million, and the au- thorizing law required all of the money to be raised before construc- tion could commence. A world class Museum for Law Enforcement Continued on next page It’s happening, folks. (L to R): National Law Enforcement Museum Executive Director Joe Urschel, Deputy Director Rebecca Looney and National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chairman and CEO Craig Floyd review Museum design documents.