West Midlands Police is celebrating it’s 50th Year Anniversary in 2024 and we want you to be part of it.
Keep up to date with all the latest heritage blogs, photos, and events below.
Diary of a Heritage Manager – Diversity part two
Earlier this week, I began talking about the very broad topic of diversity. Here’s part two, as diversity understandably has several very unique strands that all warrant a mention in their own right. Sexuality In the early 1970s it was something that wasn’t spoken about at all. Gay and lesbian officers went to great lengths …
Buckle up, this is a longer read than my earlier blog posts, as the very broad topic of diversity understandably has several very unique strands that all warrant a mention in their own right. At the beginning of policing, all police officers were white men. This was not simply down to policing being exclusive and …
On Friday 8th March we joined in the world wide celebrations of International Women’s Day – and what a day! We opened our doors to the public for free, to allow everyone to join in the celebrations and meet the sheroes of West Midlands Police, and hundreds of visitors came to see us! We were …
Unlocked Stories: Memories of Policing as a Woman in the Sixties
Prior to joining the police force, Joyce Taylor (née Cooke) worked in a local post office straight out of school. She joined Walsall Borough Police in the 1960’s. She had always wanted to be a police officer and really liked the distinctive police uniform. On joining she went to Ryton on Dunsmore for 13 weeks …
Diary of a Heritage Manager – #Weare50: ‘Did they even have computers in 1974?’
The short answer is yes. Yes they did. Only two mind: Command and Control and a very early version of PNC, which only had the vehicle module at this time. Everything else was done on paper and via telephone. One comment from one of our retired officers made me chuckle: Howard Richards recalled “If you …
#WeAre50 | Whistle saves Birmingham officer’s life
Lying stricken on the ground, drifting in and out of consciousness and with a nine inch knife embedded in his back, PC Gordon Law knew he had one last chance – he reached for his whistle in his uniform pocket and desperately blew for help. That would be the last time an officer in Birmingham …
#WeAre50 | Technology: Facial Recognition
Facial recognition technology is no mystery to us in the 21st century – our phones know our faces, airport security is automated by scanning our likeness, and a spy movie isn’t complete without someone holding their eye up to a scanner to gain access somewhere top secret. It seems almost far-fetched to think of a …
#WeAre50 | Policing the digital age – Celebrating technological advancements
We are two months into our 50th anniversary of West Midlands Police. Throughout February, we will be discussing how technology has changed over 50 years and how it has impacted the way we police today. From whistles and police boxes, to contact centres and mobility devices, the world of policing and crime looks very different …
Dive into the rich history of Wolverhampton Police
Former officers joined some of our newest recruits for the launch of a book charting the history of Wolverhampton’s police force. Retired officers with service stretching back to the 1960s were alongside newly inducted officers for the event at Wolverhampton Police Station last week. Among those attending were a former Wolverhampton Chief Superintendent, a retired …
Diary of a Heritage Manager – #WeAre50 Blog 1: The force of a thousand macs
At the museum we celebrate the past 200 years of policing, often focusing on older heritage, rather than more recent history. This year we are using the 50th Anniversary of West Midlands Police as a chance to shine a spotlight on the past 50 years. I recently met with a small group of retired and …
#WeAre50 | Policing the Parks in Birmingham
Guest Blog: Lindsey Ballinger During the 19th and very early 20th century, the parks in Birmingham were patrolled by the Birmingham City Police. The parks were not always a safe place for families and in the 1880’s and 1890’s “several cases of indecent and immoral conduct” were reported, with a number of sexual assaults on …
