Every year, roughly 10% of the US population passes away – which is a startling figure. A majority of those will die of natural causes, meaning they died of something as simple as old age or succumbed to a disease of some kind. But historically, 20% of deaths occurs in a way that is deemed
In the afternoon of February 26, 1993, a 1,200-pound bomb exploded in the basement level of 2 World Trade Center, killing six people, and injuring more than a thousand. The New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, an investigative task force between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) set
The United States Mint is accepting advance orders for the exclusive National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum Commemorative Coins. Each year, Congress authorizes a maximum of two commemorative coin programs to celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. This is an honor of which we are very proud. “We are overjoyed that
The tragedies that occurred on September 11, 2001 shook the nation and resulted in the deadliest day in law enforcement history. As a collector of law enforcement artifacts, and a story-teller of American law enforcement, the National Law Enforcement Museum has the privilege and honor of having the following artifacts from that infamous date in
During the American Civil War and in the decades following, counterfeit coins had become a major problem. The U.S. Secret Service, created in 1865, was originally tasked with detecting and combating counterfeit currency. One of the tools at their disposal was a coin tester like this one, patented in 1878 by Harvey Maranville. If a
While it may look like luggage, this is actually a complete RADAR speed detector kit from the 1970’s – then considered state-of-the-art. A far cry from the speed detectors used by police today, including one currently being developed by a Virginia company to not only detect speed but also tell the officer if someone is
This police hat, or “custodian helmet” as they were called, was used by an officer of the Covington (KY) Police Department in 1906-1907. It should look familiar. Some styles that were adopted by American metropolitan police departments in the mid- to late 19th century were the same as those predominately worn by English and European
“One Adam 12, One Adam 12…” Does that sound familiar? It’s been more than 45 years since the final episode of Adam-12 aired. A show following two Los Angeles Police Department officers through the streets of Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s on real LAPD cases. Television and classic car lovers alike have something
The National Law Enforcement Museum is no stranger to well-known and unusual cases. This is a fragment of the $5,800 found by an eight-year-old boy in Washington state, believed to be tied to the ransom money demanded by Dan Cooper, or D.B. Cooper, as he is now known. On November 24, 1971, Cooper boarded a
In this photograph, taken in 1978, a young boy is fascinated by a mounted New York (NY) Police Department officer’s horse, and an NYPD motorcycle officer shares his enthusiasm.