Arlington Public Library hosts Online Arlington Police Museum

June 15, 2011

The Arlington Police Department Museum is now accessible from anywhere there is Internet access. Thanks to a cooperative effort between the Arlington Police Department and the City of Arlington Library, the Police Museum has gone digital with all of the images of the historic memorabilia scanned. The official dedication of the new Online Police Museum occured Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at the Arlington Police Department Training Center.

The Police Museum began in the 1980s when Chaplain Harold Elliott began collecting Arlington Police Department items; from photographs, uniforms, badges to a vast array of other law enforcement tools. Over the years, that collection has continued to grow and ultimately came to be housed at the Arlington Police Training Center. The collectables look at the historic police officers who protected Arlington. In addition to photographs, the Online Police Museum also includes the written history of the Department. It has details about the first Arlington Police Chief Pearl Rudd, who was appointed in August 1915, and the longest serving Chief A.B. “Ott” Cribbs for whom the present day Arlington Public Safety Building is named. Chief Cribbs held the highest ranking police position for 37 years starting in 1934. The museum also shows the evolution of the Arlington Police Department and is evident in the change of equipment carried by officers to the uniforms. Since 1934, only five Police Chiefs have served the Arlington Police Department.