Mumbai Police to soon get its own museum

The Mumbai Police would soon have a full-fledged museum to showcase artefacts and archives.

The Office of the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, the Mumbai Police Foundation and Tata Trusts have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a two-pronged project to conserve and archive historic police records, and to plan for a Police Museum.

Conceptualised by the Police Commissioner Dattatraya Padsalgikar, the project will seek to generate awareness – internally through the archiving project, and externally through the museum project – about the rich history of the city’s police force that came into being in 1864.

The archiving project will be an exercise in organisation and maintenance that will also train police volunteers in good practices of conservation and archiving. The development of the Police Museum is a project to present to citizens a slice of history from the perspective of the force.

Tata Trusts is partnering with the Mumbai Police on this project as “an important step in preserving the city’s history and heritage”.

The Tata Trusts have long been associated with the betterment and development of the city and its public works. The Arts, Crafts & Culture portfolio at the Trusts focuses on promoting conservation of India’s cultural heritage through support of monuments, museums and building archival facilities, supporting performing arts and crafts, promoting art scholarship, art education and research.

The system of modern policing in Mumbai began with the establishment of a Police outpost by the Portuguese in 1661.

In 1669, when the East India Company acquired Mumbai, Gerald Aungier became the governor of the city and is considered the founder of the city's present police force. He organised the Bhandari Militia with subedars headquartered at Mahim, Sewree and Sion.