The Police Museum celebrates 20th anniversary

The Police Museum was established in May 2004 in conjunction with the then National Police School in Tampere. The museum celebrates its 20th anniversary in many different ways. This includes memories posted on social media and various events.

During the Police Museum's 20-year history, more than 380,000 visitors have visited the museum and the museum has organized twenty different exhibitions both on the museum premises and online.

"The very first exhibition, FINPOL05, was on display in the Vapriikki Museum Centre, because the Police Museum did not have its own facilities yet. In 2008, we got our own facilities, designed and built solely for us, and in the autumn that year we opened our doors to the public in Hervanta," says the current Museum Director, Intendant Lauri Haavisto.

"Over the years, the Police Museum has showcased the history of the Finnish police force both in two permanent exhibitions and in various temporary exhibitions.  The themes of these special exhibitions have included forged artwork, police education, police dog operations, police's use of force and the Finnish Security Intelligence Service.

The latest special exhibition, “Marias and Mörkös – Police Vehicles On and Off the Road" opened at the end of April 2024. The exhibition presents a diverse display of police vehicles: cars, motorcycles, scooters, snow scooters and all-terrain vehicles.

Exhibitions, collections, education and tradition

The Police Museum is a free museum for the whole family, with things to see and experience for people of all ages.

"The most apparent part of our operations is, of course, our exhibitions, which are open to all. In addition to exhibitions, our work also covers many areas that are not as visible to museum visitors. We store objects, pictures, films and other materials related to the history of the police. Not all objects in our collection are ever put on display in the exhibitions,” Lauri Haavisto points out.

"In addition, our curators are involved in the instruction of police students, offering them an insight to the history of the police force and its influence on present-day policing. The Police Museum’s tasks also include coordinating the activities of the Finnish police in the areas of history and traditions, including meetings with police departments' museum contact persons.

Today, the Police Museum is also responsible for the activities of the Crime Museum. The Crime Museum's exhibition is located in the facilities of the National Bureau of Investigation in Vantaa, but is not open to the general public. Some objects from the collections of the Crime Museum are exhibited at the Police Museum.

The Police Museum received recognition for high-quality operations as the museum received the Museum of the Year 2022 award granted by the Finnish Museums Association and ICOM (International Council of Museums) Finland. In its criteria for the award, the award jury stated that the concept of the Police Museum is an overall success and that the museum operation show consistent quality and a highly professional approach.

The anniversary celebrated on social media and at events

The museum celebrates its 20th anniversary in various ways. The anniversary year will be visible to the general public on social media and at events.

"On social media, we highlight glimpses from the past 20 years: memories, past exhibitions and information about the development of collections and the entire museum. During the anniversary year, we will organize a variety of events that anyone may attend. For example, there will be free guided tours throughout the year. On Police Day, Saturday 10 August, the museum will offer various activities and a special program", Lauri Haavisto promises.

The anniversary year will culminate in a seminar for invited guests in the autumn, where we look back on the past but also reflect on the future.

"The museum never stands still, as we are always planning something new and how we can continue to offer our visitors a great museum experience!"

The Police Museum now

• The Police Museum is part of the Police University College.
• The museum is located in Hervanta district, about eight kilometers from central Tampere.
• In 2023, the museum attracted around 42,000 visitors.
• More than 90% of museum visitors are satisfied with their visit, according to the HappyOrNot customer feedback tool.
• The collections include around 24,000 objects, 141,000 photographs, 3,900 films or multimedia presentations, and 3,000 books.