Talk about rewarding. To work with a group of committed professionals on a project, not just any project but a really important project, is incredibly meaningful. To arrive at work in the morning and know that I’m going to learn something from one of our bright young professionals keeps daily routines interesting. I find myself reflecting at the end of the day on some bright idea that one of my Generation X or Y colleagues has had about an innovative approach to exhibiting and interpreting the interactive law enforcement vehicle that will become part of the Museum or how to engage our Education Advisory Committee in an interactive judgment simulator session. I realize how much I appreciate their contributions.
At the other end of the experience spectrum (not too far at the other end, mind you!) there’s the wisdom and knowledge that our department senior director brings to the team. She provides the kind of insight and thoughtfulness that we need to be able to build a “world class” institution. She has ideas about caring for artifacts, accessing the collection and building relationships that may not make our lives easier, but, in the end, we know it’s the right way to approach the creation of an institution that's "Built to Last."
What’s especially fun, though, is when we disagree. That’s when the sparks fly and passions ignite. You immediately see that every one of us is doing this work because we care. I’m happy to say that we’re all still idealistic enough to think that this project might make a difference. Imagine achieving the mission we set out to achieve. What a privilege to be able to say someday, “I helped to make that happen.”
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Try Our Newest Family Activity: Build a Badge
Our latest NLEM Insider newsletter features NLEM’s Build a Badge family activity designed for elementary-age students. We hope you’ll take a minute to share it with your children. Encourage them to create their own law enforcement badge with symbols that reflect who they are. Mom and Dad (aunts and uncles, grandparents—you can share, too!), once they’ve finished, refer to the “Build a Badge” activity guide’s Conversation Starters on page 4 to talk more about the topic. Then please take a minute to post a comment below related to what you learned or talked about together!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Link Between the NLEM & Domestic Violence Prevention: Part I
Whenever I tell someone that the National Law Enforcement Museum is currently developing domestic violence prevention programs, their initial reaction is one of enthusiasm. Frequently, however, a look of wonder soon overshadows their face: “That sounds great,” they reply, “but why domestic violence? Why is it important for the National Law Enforcement Museum to focus on domestic violence prevention?”
Each year, an estimated 1.3 million women will be physically assaulted by an intimate partner according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This fact alone demonstrates the magnitude of the public safety problem that domestic violence (DV) presents for law enforcement. And every day, officers play a pivotal role in trying to manage it. As noted in a Department of Justice-funded report (p. 12), officers are often the first contact for violence-prone families, provide a “free” service, in the sense that the costs are not immediately apparent, and intervene as visible authority figures. The same report quoted the finding of Buzawa & Buzawa that in such cases, the police are “likely to be the only public agency in a position to provide rapid assistance on a 24-hour basis.” What many people do not realize, however, is that DV takes a heavy toll on the nation’s law enforcement community as well.
DV calls are among the most dangerous calls that law enforcement officers respond to. The situations can be extremely volatile since the individuals involved are often emotionally charged, and weapons may be involved. Since 1855, 663 officers have lost their lives while responding to domestic disturbance calls in the United States, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Far more officers are assaulted during domestic disturbance calls than during any other circumstance. In 2007, 32 percent of the 59,201 assaults on police officers occurred during domestic disturbance calls, according to the FBI. The next highest category, “attempting other arrests,” resulted in only 15 percent of total assaults against officers. And these statistics say nothing of the vicarious trauma that may be experienced by the responding officers—those negative changes that can happen to humanitarian workers over time as they witness other people’s suffering and need.
In this light, it is easy to understand why DV has been and will remain a critical issue for American law enforcement. And since part of the NLEM’s mission is to tell their story and contribute to a safer society, there is a clear rationale for the Museum to be involved in developing DV prevention programs. Now, the obvious question arises: what DV prevention programs are being developed by the Museum? More to come on that in Part II.
Each year, an estimated 1.3 million women will be physically assaulted by an intimate partner according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This fact alone demonstrates the magnitude of the public safety problem that domestic violence (DV) presents for law enforcement. And every day, officers play a pivotal role in trying to manage it. As noted in a Department of Justice-funded report (p. 12), officers are often the first contact for violence-prone families, provide a “free” service, in the sense that the costs are not immediately apparent, and intervene as visible authority figures. The same report quoted the finding of Buzawa & Buzawa that in such cases, the police are “likely to be the only public agency in a position to provide rapid assistance on a 24-hour basis.” What many people do not realize, however, is that DV takes a heavy toll on the nation’s law enforcement community as well.
DV calls are among the most dangerous calls that law enforcement officers respond to. The situations can be extremely volatile since the individuals involved are often emotionally charged, and weapons may be involved. Since 1855, 663 officers have lost their lives while responding to domestic disturbance calls in the United States, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Far more officers are assaulted during domestic disturbance calls than during any other circumstance. In 2007, 32 percent of the 59,201 assaults on police officers occurred during domestic disturbance calls, according to the FBI. The next highest category, “attempting other arrests,” resulted in only 15 percent of total assaults against officers. And these statistics say nothing of the vicarious trauma that may be experienced by the responding officers—those negative changes that can happen to humanitarian workers over time as they witness other people’s suffering and need.
In this light, it is easy to understand why DV has been and will remain a critical issue for American law enforcement. And since part of the NLEM’s mission is to tell their story and contribute to a safer society, there is a clear rationale for the Museum to be involved in developing DV prevention programs. Now, the obvious question arises: what DV prevention programs are being developed by the Museum? More to come on that in Part II.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
November Artifact Detective: Nothing improves your driving like a ticket
Please help us uncover some of the stories behind our objects. Leave a comment with anything you may know about the featured item. We welcome all information, and we’d appreciate sources and citations when possible. Thanks!
Pin. Collection of the NLEM, 2007.73.48.
This is a first for the Artifact Detective, as we know virtually nothing about this object. So if it looks familiar or if a department near you or your own department used a slogan like this, let us know.
We are interested in learning more about historic “drive safely” campaigns; if you know of any, please leave a comment!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
My Changing Perceptions of Law Enforcement
One of the important parts of the National Law Enforcement Museum’s mission is changing public perceptions of law enforcement. Big task, right? Well, I’m a good example of an early Museum success story. When I started working here over two years ago, I didn’t have a bad perception of law enforcement, and I generally liked the idea that they are here, but I definitely didn’t think about the job officers do and the risks they take.
After I started working here, my perceptions began to change. I began learning about the profession through exhibit designs that reinforce the great things law enforcement officers have done and still do to keep us safe. As a member of the Memorial Fund staff, I attended a wreath laying ceremony for fallen officers at the Memorial. The speakers, both law enforcement and survivors, touched me. Then during Police Week, I got to talk to many law enforcement officers and their loved ones. This gave law enforcement a more human face and really made me appreciate how the job affects not just the officers but also their families.
I was surprised by how quickly my perceptions of law enforcement changed. I went from passing a cop and praying that they wouldn’t pull me over to wanting to walk up to officers on street corners and talk to them about who they are and why they became an officer. I hope that the educational programs and exhibits we’re creating for the Museum will be able to alter the public’s perceptions for the better, like working here has changed mine. Even if we don’t manage to change our visitors’ feelings towards law enforcement, I hope that we will be able to open up positive dialog between law enforcement and the public they protect.
For me, learning about and being involved in law enforcement events has changed my perception of law enforcement. I’m interested to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. If so, please share it!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Memory and Tribute: the Relevance of the NLEM’s Memorial Collection
In the past several weeks, I have spent part of my time focusing on NLEM’s Memorial Collection. Since 1992, visitors to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial have demonstrated their emotional connection to and regard for law enforcement’s fallen by leaving tribute objects. It is those objects—some commonplace, some unique, but all holding meaning for those who left them—that comprise the Museum’s Memorial Collection. Wishing to gain a deeper understanding of this eclectic and evocative collection’s role in our Museum, I have explored some of the ideas that inform American memorial institutions.
The July/August 2007 issue of Museum News published an interview with Elie Wiesel, Auschwitz survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and founding chair of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Wiesel reflected on the nature of memory and memorials, speaking powerfully of the need to maintain the threads connecting us to those lost and to the events surrounding that loss. He said,
I believe—and I still do, in spite of everything—that memory is a shield. If we remember what people can do to each other, then we can help those who tomorrow may be threatened by the same enemy to do something. . . . I believe that he or she who listens to a survivor becomes a witness.
This quote resonates with me, because it speaks to the relevance and importance of such institutions of the NLEM and the NLEOMF. For me, the objects in the Memorial Collection are physical reminders that help me understand the importance of the sacrifices they memorialize. The objects left as tribute serve to express the memory of past sacrifice and can serve to remind the larger community of witnesses of the vital role that law enforcement has in civil society.
The July/August 2007 issue of Museum News published an interview with Elie Wiesel, Auschwitz survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and founding chair of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Wiesel reflected on the nature of memory and memorials, speaking powerfully of the need to maintain the threads connecting us to those lost and to the events surrounding that loss. He said,
I believe—and I still do, in spite of everything—that memory is a shield. If we remember what people can do to each other, then we can help those who tomorrow may be threatened by the same enemy to do something. . . . I believe that he or she who listens to a survivor becomes a witness.
This quote resonates with me, because it speaks to the relevance and importance of such institutions of the NLEM and the NLEOMF. For me, the objects in the Memorial Collection are physical reminders that help me understand the importance of the sacrifices they memorialize. The objects left as tribute serve to express the memory of past sacrifice and can serve to remind the larger community of witnesses of the vital role that law enforcement has in civil society.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Stories from an American Postcard
As a child I collected post cards. My parents traveled a lot and sent me pictures from where they visited. I saved them all. As I got older, I began to buy postcards as remembrances of my trips. Post cards continued to interest me as an adult, and in my current position, they help document the work of law enforcement. But I had forgotten the amazing stories a post card can hold—especially one without a picture!
In the NLEM collection is a run-of-the-mill postcard mailed by the Chief of Police in Sacramento to the Chief of Police in San Francisco in August 1880. The card, originally one of many such cards sent to Chiefs of Police (and most likely Sheriffs), described at length the items taken during a robbery. But with a little more research, the post card brought to life two important California citizens: the man who sent the card—Matthew Karcher—and the man who received it—Patrick Crowley.
Geo. Bates and Co. robbery postcard, 1880. 2006.79.1. Collection of the NLEM, Washington, DC.
Matthew Karcher was an American success story. Born in Baden, Germany, in 1832, he emigrated to the United States and eventually made his way to Sacramento. That same year, 1851, he opened a bakery which he ran for 14 years until it was destroyed by flood and fire. Having a family and no work, he was offered a position on the Sacramento police force and accepted it. Apparently he did well, running for and being elected Chief of Police for almost 10 years. He later served as a deputy sheriff.
Patrick Crowley, the San Francisco Chief to whom Karcher sent the card, is an even larger figure in western law enforcement history. In a 1929 article on her father, Kate Hays Crowley stated, “the story of my father’s life as chief of police of San Francisco is the story of the organization of the department and its development into an efficient unit of protection of the life and property of a great city.” Crowley was elected Chief in 1866 and served until 1897; his tenure as Chief saw many changes in the city. His daughter wrote, “He was chief of less than a hundred men in a community where interested citizens believed it their duty to get out and take an active, and often violent part in righting the wrongs or wronging the rights of their time.”
Little did the Museum staff know when we acquired the post card that it would shed light on two important settlers, as well as important California peace officers. Karcher, the immigrant who realized the American dream , and Crowley, an individual who experience the dramatic growth of an American city—captured on a small postcard.
In the NLEM collection is a run-of-the-mill postcard mailed by the Chief of Police in Sacramento to the Chief of Police in San Francisco in August 1880. The card, originally one of many such cards sent to Chiefs of Police (and most likely Sheriffs), described at length the items taken during a robbery. But with a little more research, the post card brought to life two important California citizens: the man who sent the card—Matthew Karcher—and the man who received it—Patrick Crowley.
Matthew Karcher was an American success story. Born in Baden, Germany, in 1832, he emigrated to the United States and eventually made his way to Sacramento. That same year, 1851, he opened a bakery which he ran for 14 years until it was destroyed by flood and fire. Having a family and no work, he was offered a position on the Sacramento police force and accepted it. Apparently he did well, running for and being elected Chief of Police for almost 10 years. He later served as a deputy sheriff.
Patrick Crowley, the San Francisco Chief to whom Karcher sent the card, is an even larger figure in western law enforcement history. In a 1929 article on her father, Kate Hays Crowley stated, “the story of my father’s life as chief of police of San Francisco is the story of the organization of the department and its development into an efficient unit of protection of the life and property of a great city.” Crowley was elected Chief in 1866 and served until 1897; his tenure as Chief saw many changes in the city. His daughter wrote, “He was chief of less than a hundred men in a community where interested citizens believed it their duty to get out and take an active, and often violent part in righting the wrongs or wronging the rights of their time.”
Little did the Museum staff know when we acquired the post card that it would shed light on two important settlers, as well as important California peace officers. Karcher, the immigrant who realized the American dream , and Crowley, an individual who experience the dramatic growth of an American city—captured on a small postcard.
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