to delve further into the history of the exhibits – putting names to the faces from history and highlighting humanity in policing have been fundamental to the museum’s philosophy. With well-known figures, such as former Kent Chief and Met
Here and below, the museum today
Commissioner Lord Condon, and of course Jan Berry - the first female National Chair of PFEW – having served in the Kent ranks, the force has a rich history to display to the public.
Although he is careful not to upset surviving families with displays about recent high-profile cases, Paul tries to tell the story of the force through the eyes of those who were on the wrong side of the law. “The most interesting and fascinating objects for the public are usually true crime items,” said Paul. “For instance, we have a STEN submachine gun in our crime room that was used in the tragic murder of a police officer in the 1950s.” In that particular incident, PC Alan Baxter, 33, was murdered by 20-year-old Alan Derek Poole in June 1951 for no good reason,
Paul Upton
except that the gunman thought of himself as an anti-hero who loved American gangster films. PC Baxter responded with colleagues after shots were fired by a masked man with a STEN submachine gun. The gunman was tracked down to Luton, an area of Chatham, where PC Baxter was shot. With the focus firmly on education and not sensationalism, Paul is confident the museum can play a growing part in educating generations of school children about the realities of policing: “Our phase one involved opening in October 2021 after we had created a contemporary and exciting visitor experience, and phase two is to establish an education room which delivers into the national curriculum so we can get local schools more involved. “Through this great
KENT POLICE FACTS
• As recently as the 1980s, female officers were issued with a
• Kent purchased their first police dog from Surrey Constabulary in
different uniform and kit that included a handbag with a smaller truncheon to fit inside it.
• Stopwatches and tape measures for timing the speed of cars were
• In 1960, flashing blue lights were fitted to patrol cars.
introduced in 1901.
1951, a doberman pinscher named Mountbrowne Justice.
facility, we can help to improve confidence in policing and of course spread the word about the proud heritage of the force,” said Paul. “Seeing families coming through the door and engaging with policing is just brilliant to witness.”
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