NJ Cops May18 | Page 42

Preview of coming attractions Garden State C.O.P.S. bus trip includes a special tour of the National Law Enforcement Museum n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL n PHOTOS BY AMBER RAMUNDO This tour of the National Law Enforcement Museum – the first real glimpse for civilians inside the national shrine to cops that has been in the works for nearly three years – begins on the roof. When coming to the museum that is located across the street from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Wash- ington D.C., visitors will enter at the top and descend to the ex- hibit floor. Those among the first to see the inside have come on April 14 with the Garden State Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) bus trip to the memorial sponsored by the NJ State PBA. Garden State C.O.P.S. President John Ciuppa, who doubles as one of the lead support people for the Police Unity Tour, set up this sneak pre- view. Once inside, this look shows a lot of scaffolding and beams, re- cently poured cement floors and dust. The two breathtaking glass pavilions at the top of the museum are finished and shed light on where exhibits that will tell the public about the history and inner-workings of law enforcement will be on display. “The museum, construction-wise, is doing great. We’re on time, and we’re on budget,” reports Phil Jaeger, the senior direc- tor of operations for the museum. “We are scheduled to open in the fall. We will start moving in exhibits during Police Week.” Prior to the donning of hard hats and orange safety vests, the tour begins by viewing a video that promises what the museum will deliver: A complete law enforcement experience that will show what it’s like to walk in an officer’s shoes, and the opportu- nity to learn about heroic officer stories or see artifacts and evi- dence from historical manhunts and investigations. Well, let’s see. Following Jaeger down two flights into the belly of the muse- 42 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MAY 2018 One of the two glass pavilions at the top of the National Law Enforce- ment Museum, where visitors will enter and ride an escalator down to the exhibits. um, the tour shows that a lot of the interior infrastructure is close to being finished. He notes that the museum collection already includes thousands of artifacts, 900 of which will be on display at any one time. Overlooking the exhibit floor, Jaeger points to a spot where J. Edgar Hoover’s desk will be on display. Then, he reveals the loca- tion for the museum store and café, which will be a cross between Starbucks and Subway. Between the two pavilions is an observation bridge from which visitors can see the thin blue line wall. Off to the side will be an exhibit called “Take the Case,” where the science of law enforce- ment will be on display. Visitors can experience a faux autopsy and do DNA experiments. A closed-off room at the center of the display floor will house a training simulator. Next to that will be the pop culture area,