The Museum of Policing in Devon & Cornwall archive and collection are owned by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. But the curation, preservation and exhibition of the material is the task of the Museum, constituted to protect this unique and valuable asset.
The Museum is a charity, registered number 1168731; and is also a limited company – number 10102042. The collection comprises archives, photographs, artworks, uniforms and equipment, as well as an extensive library relating to criminology and law enforcement.
Museum materials date from 1790 to the present day, including material connected with specific high-profile cases (often violent crime).
Our Archive
The “2D” archive of papers, photographs, documents, charts, map, etc. is housed at the Devon Records Office, just off junction 30 of the M5 at Exeter. The archive is in the care of our partners Southwest Heritage Trust who manage access for the Museum, under the expert guidance of our retained Archivist there. The archive is open to the public to explore by appointment.
Southwest Heritage Trust may be reached here and the Museum of Policing catalogue explored here. Note: some enquires may incur a charge. Southwest Heritage Trust Police Archive, Devon Heritage Centre, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Exeter EX2 7NL.
Our Objects collection
The “3D” objects collection comprises thousands of individual items – uniforms, weapons, communications devices, vehicles, civil defence equipment, etc. The collection is housed at Okehampton Police Station, on the edge of Dartmoor in central Devon. The collection is not open to the public, but you may add your name to a waiting list for future public events.
Email your details to info@dcpolicingmuseum.co.uk to be added to the Museum’s mailing list and check our website regularly for details. Okehampton Police Station, Exeter Road, Okehampton, Devon EX20 1NN
Our mini-Museum
A hand-picked selection of Museum items is available to the public via our mini-Museum, which is open in the World Heritage town of Tavistock in central Devon. The mini-Museum opens on a Friday from Easter to the end of October, so check the website for details of seasonal dates and times. Police Museum, Court Gate building, Bedford Square, Tavistock, Devon PL10 0AE
The Museum represents a rapidly disappearing genre – a complete collection of a profession – and the organisational memory of a large, regional police force and the social history of the communities it served.
