I was contacted by Gary Capuano, a retired Philadelphia police sergeant who has often commented on crime issues here.
Capuano advised me of his desire to fund, build and open a Philadelphia Police Museum.
“Myself and a few other former officers have been speaking on my Retired Philly Cops Facebook page about a police museum,” Capuano explained. “My old partner and fellow South Philadelphian, Adam Douglas, had proposed that the Police Department utilize the old Atwater Kent Museum that has been abandoned since 2018.
“The Philadelphia Police Department is one of the oldest municipal police forces in the United States. It was officially established in 1854 through the Act of Consolidation, though policing in the city dates to 1684, when Watchmen were first appointed to maintain public safety. Despite this long history, Philadelphia does not have a museum dedicated to preserving the story of its police department. Establishing a Philadelphia Police Museum would help officers and the public better understand the origins and evolution of policing while honoring the sacrifices of those who served.”
Capuano noted Philadelphia already preserves public safety history through the Philadelphia Fireman’s Hall Museum.
“The police museum could preserve artifacts such as photographs, uniforms, equipment, and documents, while highlighting the duties, challenges, and sacrifices of officers, including those who died in the line of duty. Many of these items could come from department archives, retired officers, police families, historical collections, and donations from the community. It should present history in a fair and balanced way, acknowledging both achievements and past controversies to show how policing has evolved. An honest approach.”
Capuano suggested that funding for the independent museum could come from private donations, grants, sponsorships, and partnerships with universities and historical organizations, with support from a nonprofit group. He also suggests free admission, like the Fireman’s Hall Museum, to keep the museum accessible to the public.
“A Philadelphia Police Museum would preserve an important part of the city’s heritage while promoting education, remembrance, and community engagement. The museum would foster a sense of pride and identity for police officers by highlighting the long tradition of service. For the community, the museum would help to strengthen the connection with the police by helping them gain a deeper understanding of the duties, challenges, and responsibilities that officers face every day.”
I agree with Gary Capuano about the need for a police museum, but I think the old police headquarters at Eighth and Race Streets, commonly known as the “Roundhouse” due to the building’s curvilinear design, would be a more suitable and historic place to house a police museum.
Back in the 1990s, when I was a crime reporter and columnist for the South Philadelphia newspapers, I was a frequent visitor to the Roundhouse. I visited the Roundhouse to interview several police commissioners, first deputy commissioners, homicide detectives, and other police officials.
Martin O’Donnell, a retired Philadelphia Police Lieutenant and a friend of Capuano, agrees with me.
“The best place, with reasonable parking, would be the Roundhouse,” O’Donnell said. “Initial funding could come from the city and private funding. Subsequent funding could come from an ‘Event Day’ such as a day hosted by the FOP with all the proceeds going towards the Police Museum.”
O’Donnell joined the police in 1979. He served in the 16th District and in 1982 and later worked in the 6th District In 1986 he was detailed to the Training Bureau. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1990 and was transferred to the Advanced Training Unit. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1995 and remained at the Training Bureau until he retired in August of 2004.
I first met O’Donnell in 1994 when I attended the pilot class of the Philadelphia Civilian Police Academy as a reporter on assignment for the South Philadelphia Review. I wrote an eleven-part series on police training and operations for the weekly newspaper.
I asked O’Donnell what would be featured at the proposed police museum.
“Articles for the museum could be obtained from current police districts and additional articles from storage from districts that have been closed,” O’Donnell said. “Each Special Unit may have some articles from the past that they could donate, and they could donate some current items they use today.
I asked if the Philadelphia Police Department would support an independent police museum.
“I think if this venture got some publicity, the Police Department would like the positive publicity and do what they could to support this. I believe many active and retired officers would support this.
“I think I would promote the Police Museum with various Schools through and around the City of Philadelphia. This could promote a relationship with the Department and the Community and give the public an understanding of the real job of a police department. Additionally, this could be a resource for recruitment for police department.”
I think that a Police Museum would be good for Philadelphia. Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.