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Our History

Discover the history of our Museum

The museum’s inception can be traced back to Detective Sergeant Charlie Elworthy, who conceived the idea while serving at Birmingham City Police’s training school. He envisioned a collection of objects that would effectively narrate the history of policing in Birmingham. His infectious enthusiasm caught on within the force, leading to the accumulation of a significant number of artefacts.

In the 1990s, the museum found its new home at Sparkhill police station. Police Constable Dave Cross assumed responsibility for the museum and established a successful education program catering to schools. Additionally, he organised open days and provided information about people’s family histories in policing.

However, budget cuts forced the sale of Sparkhill station in 2015. Determined volunteers sought alternative locations to house the museum, eventually proposing the Victorian Lock-up at Birmingham Central police station, situated on Steelhouse Lane, in 2017.

The idea gained momentum, especially after successful open days, prompting the museum team to initiate a lottery bid to secure the necessary funding for the new location. Their efforts were rewarded with success in March 2020.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the project’s progress, but work resumed in March 2021. Lathams Architects created the designs, and Trios Group was appointed as the primary contractors, while The Creative Core handled the design interpretation and fitting.

After completing the refurbishments in March 2022, the museum proudly opened its doors in April 2022, marking its new and permanent home.