Floyd, chairman of the National Law Enforcement Museum, speaks about the museum, which broke ground earlier this month and is scheduled to open in late 2013 by Judiciary Square.
How is this museum different from others that focus on law enforcement?
One of the things that makes it so different from other museums is that it’s experiential. High-tech, interactive, educational experiences for our visitors will be throughout the museum… I think it’s going to be an eye-opening experience, but most of all it’s putting the visitor in the shoes of the police officer.
What are some of the other aspects of the museum?
People are going to be fascinated by a couple areas. … One would be our Hall of Remembrance, and this is an area where we’re going to tell the stories behind the 18,983 names on the memorial wall across the street from the museum. In the Hall of Remembrance, you’ll be able to sit down at a computer kiosk … and you can then learn their stories.
What’s your favorite part of the museum?
One of my favorites would be the officers’ story section. … I always say that you don’t have to die to become a hero if you’re a police officer. … You’re a hero because you give so much of yourself for other people, and so often those men and women who don’t make the ultimate sacrifice are taken for granted, so one of the special aspects of this museum is we’re going to try to capture the story of every officer who’s ever served in the history of the United States.
How do you think this museum will impact the community?
I think it’s going to change the way people think about law enforcement. … [Visitors will] hear the heroic stories, they’ll meet the officers who serve, they’ll hear their stories and they’ll learn to have a much greater appreciation for law enforcement in this country. – Anna Waugh
