State Law Enforcement Association Is Raising Funds For Police Heroes Museum

Museum Would Be In Downtown Madison

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Above, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial, near the proposed location of the museum. Photo: Beautiful Cataya (CC-BY-NC-ND).

A group representing law enforcement in Wisconsin is trying to create the first museum for police heroes in the state.

Currently, there is a Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial on the Capitol Square in Madison. A planned museum would likely be located nearby, says Jim Palmer, director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association and CEO of the proposed Law Enforcement Museum of Valor. The museum is registered as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan is its honorary chairman.

“We believe that Bo Ryan has earned a reputation for hard work and dedication, and we think that those are traits he shares in common with law enforcement officers across the state,” said Palmer.

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Palmer says Ryan will help with fundraising for the museum.

“Probably it will require at least $800,000 to get off the ground and fund for those first two years,” said Palmer. “We are going to actively seek corporate partners from Wisconsin-based companies that we think will share our dedication and the public’s appreciation for what our law enforcement officers do on a daily basis.”

The museum’s board of trustees will determine which officers are honored as heroes. Some will be chosen from archived incidents dating back to 1946. The museum will also have an educational component, with a small theater, a squad car simulator, and historical artifacts.