While one of the museum's primary focuses is a memorial to September 11th, the museum contains a wide range of information on the history of the NYPD. The museum, which grew from a gallery housed at the New York City Police Academy, opened at 26 Broadway at Bowling Green in January 2000 and re-opened in a new location at 100 Old Slip, former home of the First Precinct, in January 2002. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused substantial damage at 100 Old Slip, and the museum reopened on October 24, 2013 at 45 Wall Street. That location closed in 2014 and the museum's future plans are unclear.It also allows visitors to simulate a police firefight, and judges whether or not the shooting was correct, allowing civilians to have some understanding of situations that police face and provide them with a better understanding of the work of police officers than that provided by the media. Its exhibits are not without controversy, and city historians have accused the museum of omitting coverage of more controversial aspects of NYPD history.
