COIMBATORE: After a gap of three years due to renovation works during Covid-19, the century-old historic police museum, known as the Hamilton police club, was opened to the public on Thursday. The Coimbatore city police also launched a guided tour programme for the public and students in the museum.
The museum will function for six days a week except Monday and people are allowed from 10 am to 7 pm. Guided tour service is available in four sessions from 10.30 am - 11.30 am, 12.30 pm- 1.30 pm, 3 pm- 4 pm and 5 pm- 6 pm.
The guided tour programme is arranged free of cost by the department to help people who want to take a look at the displays in the museum. A separate team has been deputed to handle this task and they will explain the information about each and every display material, said police officials.
A senior police officer said, “The guided tour will be helpful to the school students and those who want detailed information on the history of the properties displayed in the museum. Along with it, the Police band show, Dog shows will be organized from 6 pm to 7 pm every Saturday and Sunday. Also, we have planned to give the open place on the premises for rent to conduct meetings and ceremonies.”
To encourage footfall, the visitor fee is fixed at Rs 10. However, students from government schools, colleges and aided institutions are exempted from it. Those from private institutions will be charged Rs 5 per head.
As per sources, the museum building was bought by British police officer FA Hamilton in 1918 and it was named Hamilton Club. In 1951, the Tamil Nadu police took custody of the building. After renovation by retaining its British-era originality, it was opened in 2018.
‘Torpedo’, a cigar-shaped self-propelled missile, ‘CET 53 M’ torpedo is a Soviet-designed anti-submarine, anti-ship missile, fast interceptor boat, Midget submarine ‘Gokulan 2-93’, built by LTTE, various types of cartridges, police swords, 81 mm rocket launcher, weapons seized from LTTE, Veerappan, his associates and weapons seized from Malayur Mambattiyan are in a display.
Police to renovate traffic park
City police plan to renovate the children’s traffic park on Police Recruits School (PRS) premises on Dr Balasundaram Road and conduct orientation programmes about road safety for people visiting the central RTO to obtain a driving licence.
Sources said the condition of the park would be assessed and repairs carried out wherever necessary. Also, police plan to reinstate programmes that were conducted at the park before the pandemic. People applying for a driving licence would be made aware of traffic rules, signs and best practices to be followed on the road.
The traffic park was closed during the pandemic outbreak. Earlier, school children from across the city used to visit the park to learn traffic rules and signs. Also, an orientation programme was organized with the support of a private automobile firm to educate the basic aspects of driving to the applicants for driving licence.
“We are preparing the quotation for the park’s renovation work. The work will begin soon,” said N Mathivanan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic - Coimbatore city).