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Vintage American police cars

American Police Hall of Fame

& Museum Carolyn Davies Florida’s American Police Hall of Fame gives a fascinating insight into US policing, and provides a much needed break from sightseeing and shopping. S ituated near the Kennedy Space Centre , the museum is just an hour’s drive from Orlando, and is open daily to the public. Originally founded in 1960 in Miami, it moved to a purpose built building in 2003. It is the USA’s first museum, and memorial dedicated to American law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Carolyn on a vintage police Kawasaki

Run as a charity, helping the bereaved families, the normal entrance fee is $13.00. But on production of a police card of some description (NARPO / IPA), it drops to $2.00. The American Police Hall of Fame is definitely well worth a visit. Afterwards you can easily move onto the Space centre.

The building hosts nearly 11,000 exhibits relating to American law enforcement. Like most modern museums, many of the exhibits are interactive, allowing you to better understand the various subjects. There is even an area especially for children. The displays include a big collection of vintage police vehicles, decommissioned firearms and other equipment used by officers in their work. Also in the building, but accessed separately, is a 24 lane indoor gun range, which is open to the public, as well as providing a training resource for law enforcement personnel. Perhaps the most sobering part of the museum is the Memorial dedicated to the law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. The memorial serves as a place of remembrance for many families and friends. It lists over 9,000 officers killed in the line of duty, with their names permanently etched on the Memorial’s walls. Another sobering exhibit is the real time clock, connected to all the agencies who deal with reported crimes throughout the USA. Watching the totals for some offences changing at the speed of a one-arm bandit, was worrying to say the least.

The Police memorial

POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.3, 2020

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