History of the Museum
The museum was the brainchild of the late Brighton councillor John Drake. Following his passing, his wife adopted the project as her mayoral initiative, and the museum was officially opened on 4 May 2005 by the Mayor of the City of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Mrs Pat Drake.
The museum was established through the dedication and enthusiasm of both retired and serving police officers, council staff, and with invaluable support from the Brighton Prince’s Trust and graphic design students from the University of Brighton.
In 2020, we launched a new website with a cleaner design and improved navigation. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic required us to move our activity online. This shift allowed us to expand our digital offer, and with the help of volunteers we developed the Watch, Look, Listen research project, featuring videos, photographs, and articles exploring stories, objects, and images from our collection. Click here to view it.
Once it was safe to reopen, we resumed tours, school visits, and events. Among our exhibitions was Civil Disobedience, created by our curatorial team, which explored the long history of protest and demonstration within Sussex’s policing story. You can click here to see the online adjoining exhibition.
First look at the male cell corridor
In 2023, the museum was forced to close due to changes in management, funding challenges, and health and safety concerns. Located in the basement of the Town Hall (originally built in 1830), the site also required significant maintenance work. However, with the appointment of a new director, support from Sussex Police, and the continued dedication of our volunteers, work has been underway to revitalise the museum.
This has begun with the refurbishment of the male cells, which now feature new display cases, updated interpretation, and a refreshed layout telling the story of policing in Sussex. Plans are in place to redevelop the female cells next year.
After three years of closure, the museum will officially reopen on 16 May 2026.
We are very grateful to our volunteers, and are always interested in new recruits, so if you are interested -you can find out more here.