195 years ago on the 15th October, Parliament passed the Special Constables Act of 1831, which granted chief officers the power to appoint ‘special constables’, a form of temporary officer …
The Ceremonial Swords and Legacy of Chief Constables Peacock and Maxwell
This month, the museum has had the pleasure of acquiring two ceremonial swords belonging to two of Manchester’s most important Chief Constables, Sir Robert Peacock and Sir John Maxwell. Combined, …
112 Years of the Aliens Registration Act – Accessing Manchester’s Hidden Immigration Stories
The Greater Manchester Police Museum is proud to have one of the largest collections of surviving Alien Registers in the country. These rare books offer a rare window into the …
Scrappy Scuttlers – A Horrible Histories Style Guide to the original gangs of Manchester and Salford
Whilst organised crime was not invented in the Victorian era, the 19th century did see the emergence of the first modern gangs as we would understand them today. During this …
Marking the 30th Anniversary of the 1996 Manchester Bombings
Thirty years ago, today an approximately 1,500 Kg bomb, hidden in a Ford Cargo lorry, was detonated at 11:17am at in central Manchester. It was the largest bomb detonated in …
Looking back at Longsight: A site of Manchester Policing History
Longsight Police Station has played an indispensable role in policing central Manchester since it was opened in 1948. In this month’s story, the GMP Museum looks back at the history …
100 Years as a City – A Very Brief History of Policing in Salford
View PostA ‘Trilliant’ Invention: Where do Police Whistles come from?
One of the most iconic, but often understated, pieces of equipment traditionally used by police officers across the country is the police whistle. The distinct trilling sound of a police …
Bookable Guided Tours at the GMP Museum for the National Lottery Open Week – 12th March 2026.
The Greater Manchester Police Museum is proud to be taking part to the National Lottery’s Open Week, which runs from the 7th to the 15th March. It was through the …
Looking Back at Restoration of the Denton Magistrates Court Room
It has been 22 years since the Greater Manchester Police Museum revealed to the public, the preserved and restored magistrates’ courtroom, originally installed at the Denton Police Station in what …