Learning resources
Digital Workshops
We have created two digital workshops for schools for Key Stage Two pupils. These workshops contain digital images of objects from our collection together with activities you can do with the class.
These are free resources and they can be downloaded:
Virtual tour
Explore the museum and find out about key objects on display via our Virtual Tour
The staff at the OPCM are always happy to try and help with any research related enquiries connected with policing in Sussex and to assist with the identification of police related items. So send us an email. However our researchers are all volunteers and you may not get a reply immediately. Also the majority of records related to policing in Sussex are kept at the county records offices.
In particular the museum does not hold the records of individual police officers or special constables that served in any of the Sussex Police forces. However we can point you in the right direction to find them. The key to finding information is to know exactly which police force a person served in and when.
All of the personnel records up until 1968, were catalogued and divided up between the East and West Sussex Records Offices. The records for West Sussex Constabulary , Arundel Borough Police and Chichester City Police are all held at the West Sussex County Records Office in Chichester. The records for East Sussex Constabulary, Rye Borough Police, Hastings Borough Police, Hove Borough Police, Brighton Borough Police and Eastbourne Borough Police, are all held at the East Sussex Records Office at the Keep in Brighton. Between 1943 and 1947 there was a combined Sussex Police Force and these records are also kept at the Keep. Both records offices have websites and online catalogue search facilities. Some of the personnel records will be subject to data protection and disclosure controls but the relevant offices should be able to tell you what you can and cannot see.
All of the then existing police forces in Sussex merged in 1968 to form Sussex Constabulary, which later became Sussex Police. The personnel records from this period are all still held by Sussex Police and are not readily accessible. Being more recent they are subject to more stringent data protection and confidentiality controls and the force has no current mechanism for family history enquiries. Any enquiries should be directed to the HR Dept. at Police HQ Lewes.
Hopefully this will help you to find what you are looking for.
Good luck
OPCM