By Steve Layne

Reprinted from February 2015 Collections Caretaker

If you pay any attention to the news, you can't help but notice there's a lot of turmoil, around the world, and within this country.   The word has gone out, to those who for one reason or another feel alienated or suppressed by westerners, Americans in particular.  The message they are receiving is to individually or in groups, wreak havoc wherever the opportunity presents itself.  That includes armed assault, kidnapping, murder, explosive devices, fires, destruction of property, and more.   Museums, historic houses, and especially national iconic sites...are "soft (vulnerable) targets."

It is foolhardy to think that these elements cannot or will not strike in your neighborhood.  Regardless of the size, scope, or nature of your institution, the possibility of a threat becoming reality exists.  And once it begins, it's way too late to think about how to respond.   Sound prevention measures are available.  Solid defenses are affordable.  It starts with staff-wide awareness and an efficient reporting system.  Absolute control of your building's perimeter is a must.   Package inspection, frowned upon by many institutions, is a viable prevention tool, but infrequently initiated.  The Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the nation's largest, inspects every parcel and container coming into the institution, daily, and everything going out....efficiently, and with strong attention to visitor relations.   The excuse "we can't afford it," or "we don't have adequate staff" is just that, an excuse.   We're going to have tragic events in this country.  Do what you can, now, to avoid being a victim.  You need to have a plan.   For direct information about preventing measures, contact the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection (IFCPP), the Department of Homeland Security, The FBI, or your local law enforcement agency.

Stevan P. Layne is the principal consultant and chief executive of Layne Consultants International, a leading provider of cultural property protection advice. Steve is a former police chief, public safety director and museum security director. He is the author of The Cultural Property Protection Manual, and the Business Survival Guide. Steve regularly presents to professional associations and has consulted with more than 400 museums and other institutions. Steve is the founding director of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and responsible for the professional training and certification of more than 1,000 museum professionals. For more information visit his web site Layne Consultants International.