Unlocked Stories: Sergeant Hartley
With over 200 years of history across the West Midlands it’s not surprising, but always delightful, when visitors add to our story with their own family tales. Recently we were visited by Roger, Katie, and Emily – relatives of Sergeant Percy Hartley whose career took him across the country to Liverpool, Tilbury, and Hull, before …
In 2026 we are celebrating 10 years since the closing of the Lock-up as a custody facility. In the autumn, we will have a special exhibition reflecting on the ups of downs of ‘Life at the Lane’ and we need your help to make it special. Have you ever stayed or worked at Central Custody …
Belly of the Beast: Handsworth 1985
This year we converted the former Lock-up kitchen to a brand new exhibition space; with display cabinets kindly donated by the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a fresh lick of paint, and a new lease of life to the space we have been eagerly awaiting our first exhibition. Discussions began with world renowned artist Pogus …
West Midlands Tourism Awards 2026 – WINNERS!
Having won the New Tourism Business Award in 2024, the team at the Lock-up set themselves the challenge of making this unique museum as accessible as possible to the public. No small task given the building’s listed status and distinctive style; how do you make a Victorian building, out of use since 2016, accessible to …
Sleepover Winners – 4th Warwick Guides
In 2025 we asked local scouts, cubs, guides, and brownies to put their creative skills to the test. The challenge – design a new sew-on patch celebrating the Lock-up. The prize? A free sleepover here at the museum! We were blown away by the amount of wonderful submissions from across the West Midlands – it …
Behind the Scenes – Getting Ready for 2026!
It’s been a busy start to 2026 for the Museum. While the doors have been closed to the public to allow for important maintenance work, the staff and volunteers have been working hard organising our collections, preparing for temporary exhibitions, and for our upcoming school visits and events. Making the most of closed doors Throughout January, …
Fashion Police: Free group visit enquiry
Free group visits to the Police Museum – Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund PLEASE BE AWARE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED We’re excited to share a fantastic opportunity for both adult and young people’s groups to visit the Police Museum for free! Thanks to the generous support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are …
Unlocked Stories: The Road Safety Act, 1967
Written by William Phillips – Aston University. When conducting a placement in such a unique museum and archive, you come across plenty of items, holdings, and displays that pique your interest. But while I was diving into the Forward Magazine series, indexing interesting information throughout, one satirical cartoon completely threw me off – it was …
We have welcomed hundreds of schools, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs, and other young people’s groups over the past few years – and now it’s your chance to not only visit our museum, but spend a night in the cells for free! We are looking to create a sew-on patch suitable for young people’s groups to …
30 Years On: How the National DNA Database Revolutionised Policing
As 2025 marks 30 years since the introduction of the National DNA Database (NDNAD), we thought we’d take a look back and share some information on how this vital crime fighting tool has developed both locally and across the UK. Many people will be aware of Dr Alec Jeffreys’ discovery in 1984 that enabled him …
The Birth of Forensic Evidence: How Science Caught a Killer
In 1813, a seemingly unremarkable piece of torn newspaper changed the course of forensic history. Edward Culshaw, travelling from Liverpool, was shot through the head with a horse pistol, robbed of his money and watch, and left for dead. His killer, Thoms, might have escaped justice had it not been for a crucial piece of …
How three generations of the same family served Coventry
An officer is following a long-standing tradition after becoming the third consecutive generation of her family to join the police force in the West Midlands. The Finney name has been synonymous with Coventry police for more than 40 years. Dennis Finney joined in 1980 and was stationed at Stoney Stanton Road, then 14-years later his …
We have had a whirlwind weekend full of festive cheer, with over 250 guests meeting Santa in our first ever Grotto! Christmas Crafts Families visited Mrs Claus’ workshop to get crafty with Christmas decorations – creating reindeer’s with chocolate noses to hang upon their trees, and mini-trees from those pesky bits of spare wrapping paper! …
Unlocked Stories: Sergeant in slippers
Imagine yourself, readying for the graveyard shift, perhaps enjoying a coffee before you pop your boots on, when through your window you spot something lighting up the sky… Sgt. Keith Charles hadn’t even pulled his boots on when he rushed out his house to tackle a fire blazing on Alum Rock Road that threatened a …
The police forces of the West Midlands have had a number of ‘mascots’ over the year; often encouraging children to be safe and offer them advice. Roger, the safety car, is held in high esteem here at the museum after many years teaching school children across the region about road safety. But do you remember …
