The National Law Enforcement Museum

The enormity of the sacrifice is clear to any visitor to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. There are more than 16,500 names on the marble walls of that national monument, with hundreds more added every year. Each of those officers paid the ultimate price working to preserve public safety. They deserve to be honored and remembered.

But, unless you were a friend, colleague or loved one, the inspiring stories behind the names are mostly unknown. All of that will change, though, when a new museum, which was approved by Congress two years ago, opens its doors right across the street from the Memorial.

The importance of building the National Law Enforcement Museum is clear. While the Memorial permanently and silently tells an important story of service and sacrifice, as one law enforcement leader recently said, "The Memorial focuses on the end of the story — We need to tell the rest of the story."

When it opens in 2009, the National Law Enforcement Museum will be the largest and most comprehensive museum of its kind in the world. This "glimpse behind the badge" will include 25,000 square feet of exhibits commemorating law enforcement's past and present.

As visitors tour the permanent and rotating exhibits, visitors will learn your story. The heroism behind the names on the Memorial — The details of daily life on the beat — How you investigate and solve crimes — The split-second life or death decision you make. Every step of the visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the enduing connection between you and the public you serve.

To tell your story properly, we need your help. That's why we've launched a Matter of Honor: The Campaign to build the National Law Enforcement Museum. This $80 million campaign — $10 million of which we hope to raise from the law enforcement community — is a historic philanthropic initiative.

In 2000, a law (P.L. 106-492) passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Clinton authorized a national law enforcement museum to be built on federal property in Washington, D.C. The museum will be privately funded and will be developed, constructed, owned and operated by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF)-the same nonprofit organization that built and now oversees the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Construction is expected to commence in 2007. The museum opening is scheduled for 2009. The museum will reach a broad and diverse audience, with attendance expected to be as high as half a million visitors a year, including 40,000 students on class trips.

To learn more about the NLEOM Museum and its Exhibits, please visit the NLEOMF Web site and click on the "Build the Museum" button on the left.