New Zealand Police Museum

03/09/2026

Meet Jordy

02/09/2026

Sergeant William Folley with chevrons on his sleeve and shako, stands in front of the Reefton Police Station with Constable Scott centre and an unidentified constable, right, circa 1912. There is a lantern on a post which reads Police. Holley's dog is sitting nicely by him. 🐕🐾👮🏽👮🏽👮🏽

02/09/2026

Three police officers in 1933, Nelson District. We are unsure who collar number 74 is, Constable Alexander Gordon Hogg is in the middle #53 and Constable Peter Christian Berthelsen has collar #44. Collar numbers were not related to the officer's registered number, in this case Berthelsen was No.1521 & Hogg No.1433. The collar numbers related to the station, and unfortunately there is no master list 😤

31/08/2026

27/08/2026

The Mako Tactical K-9 Harness was trialled by New Zealand Police dog Ike in early 2016. Here he is wearing harness serial number 001. The harness has two layers of polymer to shield vital organs and at the time was the equivalent of the SRBA (stab resistant body armour)worn by police officers. Ike approved, and the protective vests were rolled out to all our police dogs in July 2016.

And yes, Ike is a floof.🐾🐕

27/08/2026

If you're concerned about your safety in a relationship, there may be information that can help you make informed decisions about your next steps.

Through the Family Violence Information Disclosure Scheme (FVIDS), it is now easier for members of the public to request information about a third party, if they have concerns about their own safety, or the safety of a family member or friend.

You do not need to be experiencing violence right now to ask. Early awareness can support safer decisions.

More information can be found on our website 🔗 www.police.govt.nz/advice-services/family-violence-help-and-support/family-violence-information-disclosure-scheme

You can also call 105 to discuss your options, or visit your nearest Police Station.

27/08/2026

Today we celebrate the life and service of Constable James Dorgan, who died performing his duty 105 years ago. His death remains the only unsolved police officer murder case. Moe mai rā James, you will always be remembered.

Name & rank: Constable James DORGAN
Police number: 1764
Born: 26 January 1884
Years in Police: nine
Died: Murdered 27 August 1921
Age: 37
Married with three children

James’ story:
James Dorgan was born in Ireland. He moved to New Zealand as a young man and worked as a farm labourer before joining the New Zealand Police in 1912, aged 28. He briefly served in Christchurch before transferring to Timaru, where he was stationed from 1913 until his death in 1921. Constable Dorgan married Agnes Mary 'Minnie' Dorgan in 1915, and he and his wife had three children.

On the night of 26 August 1921, Constable Dorgan was on beat patrol along with two other officers. Constables Christopher and Dorgan each walked part of the main street, while Constable McCullough patrolled the back street of the town. At 00:30 on 27 August, Constable Christopher discovered that the glass in the doors of T & J Thomson's drapery and clothing shop had been covered with paper. Light could be seen glowing through the gaps. He signalled to Constable Dorgan that a robbery was in progress. The two officers tried the doors but found them locked. Constable Christopher went to the shop owner's nearby house to get the keys, leaving Constable Dorgan to guard the shop. Suddenly, shots rang out. Christopher ran back to find Dorgan staggering out from behind the shop, saying:

“He fired four shots at me and ran up the back. Get me a drink, I'm done, I'm done!”

A doctor was called to the scene but it was already too late. Constable Dorgan had been shot in the chest, and he died shortly after the doctor arrived.

Constable Dorgan's funeral was one of the largest seen in Timaru at that time. Shops closed to allow their owners to attend the popular constable's funeral.

It is possible that the offender had hidden on a balcony until the owner closed the shop. When disturbed by the Police officers, the offender had abandoned two bags of clothing taken from Thomson's store. Police took 70 sets of fingerprints and closely questioned several suspects in the search for the officer's killer. Despite extensive investigations, the murder of Constable Dorgan remains unsolved.

25/08/2026

New Zealand Police at the New Zealand & South Seas International Exhibition, Dunedin November 1925 - May 1926. The Exhibition comprised of numerous exhibition halls, an amusement park, restaurants and tearooms all connected by a loop railway.

For the first time there was an exhibition showcasing women's art and craft, which was seen to be very progressive at the time. Most of the exhibition halls featured agriculture, craftmanship and industry from New Zealand and other countries belonging to the British Empire. The Exhibition buildings were designed by Edmund Anscombe and were art works in their own right, constructed on reclaimed land - now known as Logan Park, originally Lake Logan and Pelichet Bay.

Over three million paying visitors enjoyed the Exhibition, at a time when our population was just under half that. What an incredible success! While the police officers shown would have been very busy with the crowds, I'm sure they didn't mind.

24/08/2026

The wreckage of the Picton-to-Christchurch express train after it derailed near Blind River (close to Seddon) and crashed on 25 February 1948. The tragic accident resulted in 6 deaths and injured more than 40 people.

The photographs show the aftermath of the crash from different angles, showing the smashed passenger cars and the damaged locomotive. People arrived in cars to help and people walking over and through the debris.

22/08/2026

It’s been tough waiting to hear news.