Category: News

We are looking for volunteers for our Oral History Video Podcast Series.

We are very fortunate to have MCN-6 as our production partner for the video podcasts

Michael Rainville is the host, and if you join us, he will be asking you the following questions:

• What motivated you to become a police officer?
• Who was the most influential person in your career in the Minneapolis Police Department? What lessons did that person teach you?
• What kinds of friendships and camaraderie did you form on the job and with whom? Whom did you trust and depend on and why?
• What was your favorite part of the job and why?
• Of all of your contributions to the Minneapolis Police Department, which make you most proud and why?
• What would you want to share with future generations about your experiences, and your feelings about your profession?

We are proud and grateful for this opportunity to preserve your stories for historians and for future generations.

We have openings on August 19, September 2, and September 16 and September 30, if you would like to join us.

You can watch the video podcasts of Retired Sergeant Jeffery Grates, Retired Lieutenant Shirleen Hoffman and Retired Sergeant Arthur Hart by clicking here: https://mplspolicemuseum.org/podcasts/

Please reach out to us if you would like to be part of this important project: info@mplspolicemuseum.org

Thank you!

L to R: Sergeant Joseph Elliott and Officer Leo Bessner sort out 30 food baskets collected by the Minneapolis Police Department at the Bryant Avenue Station. The baskets were delivered to needy families on Christmas 1941. Photograph courtesy of Hennepin County Library

Many thanks to Ken Smith for updating Alfred Averbeck’s Find-A-Grave listing with the picture we posted last week.

Ken has shared additional information about Alfred Averbeck. He was born on July 13, 1890. He served in the US Navy. He rose to the rank of Detective in the Minneapolis Police Department. He passed away on February 10, 1960 and is buried at Fort Snelling Cemetery.

Here is a link to Detective Averbeck’s listing courtesy of Ken Smith:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/305784/alfred-william-averbeck

We are fortunate and grateful to partner with MINNESOTA COMMUNITY NETWORK – MCN6 to share our rich history through video podcasts.

We are proud to launch our new Oral History series hosted by Michael Rainville. In these video podcasts, Mr. Rainville interviews retired officers to learn about their interesting and meaningful careers and hear the advice they have for future generations.

Today, we are launching the first two episodes in the series. Episode One features Retired Sergeant Jeffery Grates. Episode Two features Retired Lieutenant Shirleen Hoffman and Retired Sergeant Arthur Hart.

You will find these video podcasts in the Podcasts section of the website.

Or just click here:https://mplspolicemuseum.org/podcasts/

Do you have a photograph or a story that you would like to share?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to email us at info@mplspolicemuseum.org with your photographs or stories and we will post them for others to learn from, be inspired by, or just plain enjoy.

Thank you!

We are grateful to Robert Elmers for his generous financial donation to the Minneapolis Police Museum today!

Thank you, Bob, for helping us to preserve our artifacts and share our rich heritage.

We appreciate your support!

We are getting very close now to identifying all of the photographs in our project for the Hennepin County Library.

Many thanks to Retired Officer Scott Grabowski for his help today in getting us closer to our goal!

If you would like to try your hand at identifying the very few remaining photographs, please write to us at info@mplspolicemuseum.org and we will send you a .pdf file to review.

Thank you!

We have made excellent progress on our project to identify 77 photographs for the team at the Hennepin County Library Special Collections.

A warm and sincere thank you to Retired Officers Jeffery Grates and Robert Elmers, and to Amy Sizer for their great work on this project!

We have only 9 photographs left to identify.

If you would like to help, please send an email to us at info@mplspolicemuseum.org or reply below.

Thank you!

The Hennepin County Library periodically reaches out to the museum asking for help in identifying Minneapolis Police Officers shown in various photographs in their collection.

We recently received a batch of 77 photographs for identification. These photographs appear to have been taken over the last fifteen or twenty years.

If you would like to assist us in identifying the officers and providing some context for the photographs, please reach out to us at: info@mplspolicemuseum.org

We would be grateful for your help!

Thank you!

Research has begun for a feature on the early detectives of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Do you have knowledge that you would like to share?

Are there any early detectives whom you would like to see featured?

Are there any early detection methodologies or technologies that you are especially interested in learning about?

If so, please share your comments below or email us at: info@mplspolicemuseum.org

Thank you!

Photograph of James D. Hardin courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society. Detective Hardin joined the Department on April 22, 1907 and was promoted to Detective on January 8, 1913.

Research has begun for an upcoming feature on the history of the Minneapolis Police Honor and Color Guards.

Do you have any stories or photographs you would like to contribute to this vital story?

Please email us at info@mplspolicemuseum.org if you would like to contribute to the story.

Thank you!