'The rhino horn on display has been replaced by a replica': Museum security in Finland and England

Museums are an integral part of the cultural life of societies. As well as intangible value, many collections may also have considerable financial value, and pose a temptation to thieves. Furthermore, threats exist from accidents, natural disasters and vandalism, among many other risks that have to be built into museums security measures. In recent years, high profile art thefts from museums and even, regrettably, acts of terror, have drawn attention to the vulnerability of museum institutions as sites of crime and catastrophe. In particular, balancing visitor enjoyment and accessibility of the exhibits with security can be difficult for many. Despite awareness of these concerns, museums security remains to date under-represented in museological discourses, perhaps in part to its perceived pragmatic nature. Another reason may be the difficulty of discussing often confidential and sensitive information in a meaningful way. In this paper, based on research carried out in Finland and England, we aim to analyse some of the key issues for museums security, which while focussing on situations in Northern European settings, have relevance for museums globally. We set this discussion against the backdrop of ethical considerations and present our methodology for both gathering the data and discussing it in a way which is both sensitive to confidentiality issues but still of use to the wider security, museums and cultural heritage sectors

Fool’s gold? A critical assessment of sources of data on heritage crime

Purpose To explore critically various sources of data available on heritage crime, and consider how these may be utilised and improved. Design/methodology/approach Primarily a scoping review of the current heritage crime data climate, embedding examples from a range of existing and potential information sources. It highlights opportunities to improve data resources. Findings A lack of consistency in reporting and recording practices means there is little meaningful evidence about heritage crime trends and patterns. This needs to change in order to develop and evaluate appropriate strategies to reduce the problem of heritage crime nationally and internationally. Research limitations/implications It is hoped that by urging improvement of data resources in the heritage crime sector will inspire a greater number of researchers to analyse and address key problems within heritage crime. Practical implications This paper encourages the development of new and improved data collection methods to foster effective assessment of existing heritage crime reduction schemes and better support victims of heritage crime. Social implications Increasing availability and accessibility of high quality data on heritage crime would allow for developing better protections and resource allocation for vulnerable heritage. Originality/value This paper has drawn together, for the first time, evidence of the existing state of affairs of data availability within heritage crime. It is a position paper which encourages the development of improved recording and reporting practices both formally and informally across heritage and criminal justice sectors in order to support further research and understanding of the heritage crime problem