Combatting Heritage Crime:Key Findings from the ACE Museum Security Programme

Nick Poole, CEO, Collections Trust

About the Collections Trust…

About the Programme

• A joint programme with the Arts Council England and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Crime Prevention Unit

– Increased awareness of museum security as a core element of good Collections Management practice;

– Improved capacity and expertise in basic museum security and housekeeping;

– Enhanced awareness of the Arts Council’s support through the National Security Adviser;

– A self-supporting community of practice to share knowledge;

– Improved usage of existing published material on the subject

6 Seminars…

What is ‘Heritage Crime’?

• Defined as “any offence which harms the value of England’s heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations”

• Technically:

– Architectural Theft– Planning Enforcement refusal, unauthorised development and excavation– Public Urination (Anti-social Behaviour)– Arson and Unauthorised fires– Metal Theft and Unauthorised metal detecting (‘Nighthawking’)– Advertising / Fly posting– Criminal Damage / Graffiti (Anti-social Behaviour)– Vehicular damage

Key risk areas

• Buildings• Collections• Stock/plant• Information• People

The theft problem…

• Theft– Petty theft– Personal property theft– Metal theft– Pickpocketing– Shop stock– Theft-to-order (jade, Rhino horn)– Burglary– Inside theft– Opportunistic theft– Building materials/plant theft

Lack of evidence• No equivalent to EH ‘Heritage Crime’ survey in museums

• 90%+ of the 200-300 institutions involved in our workshops had been affected by heritage crime

• No coherent national picture of the scale of the problem, or trends

• Lack of information sharing about current threats among museums

• Support from the National Security Adviser, Facewatch and recently-established National Museums Security Network

Key risk factors• Attractive targets

• High-value collections/inventory

• Limited risk awareness

• Reluctance to invest strategically

• Reductions in staffing capacity

• Gradual upgrade path for key equipment

Challenges post-incident• Loss of trust/reputational damage

• Difficulties in borrowing items on loan

• A culture of fear

• Challenging innocent visitors

• Lack of holistic/strategic response

• A burglary at work is as unsettling as one at home

Key lessons learned• Rational choice perspective

• There is a tremendous amount heritage sites/venues can do to deter crime

• A culture of risk/security awareness

• Relationship with local CPO

• Access control/surveillance

• Develop & train response

• Prevention/deflection is better than cure

• Hire good people, be aware of emergent risks

Self-assessment tools• Environmental Visual Audit (EVA) – ‘walk the perimiter’

• Security Check – ‘develop a culture of security/risk awareness’

• Used as in-house training tools, for staff development and audit

Environmental Visual Audit (EVA)

Security Check

Next steps• Real need for just-in-time information sharing about current threats/targets

• Partnership with Securitas to provide information & expertise

• Understanding Security as a facet of a strategic approach to risk, environmental and collections management

• Looking at interaction of security with insurance & indemnity

• Further workshops during 2013-14

• Security Checklist/External Visual Assessment

Take it further…

www.collectionslink.org.uk/discover/security