On the beat at the West Midlands Police Museum

The West Midlands Police Museum situated at the Sparkhill Police Station is awash with valuable artifacts, photographs and documents pertaining to the history of the British Police Force in this region. These items show the developmental changes in Policing around the Birmingham area; from an early watchman's lamp to modern narcotics detecting equipment the museum chronicles the technological advancements that have taken place.

A complete record of the various cases solved by the Police in the area as well as unsolved mysteries is kept here. Visitors can attempt to understand the motives behind these different incidents as well play detective and solve mysteries that have baffled the West Midlands Police for centuries.

The Museum has separate areas dedicated for the different police units operating in the West Midlands area such as the Birmingham City Police, Coventry City Police, Dudley Borough Police, Walsall Borough Police, West Midlands Constabulary and the Wolver Hampton Borough Police. Various aspects of life in the police are also depicted here such as stories of police officers dying in the line of duty and how the culprits were brought to book in different scenarios.

Records of disciplinary charges and are also kept here, the British Police prides itself as being one of the most disciplined in the world. This exhibit is a testament to this fact. Stories of murder, theft and violence which captured the headlines in the Midlands are retold at the Police Museum, for example an extract from the Birmingham Gazette in 1883 talks about attempted murder by the husband on his own wife and how the police teams resolved the case. Photographs of police vehicles through out the times, firearms that were used as well as the crests of the police force are also on display.

Visitors staying at Birmingham hotels can easily enjoy this wonderful piece of history about the Midlands Police force as it can be easily accessed.