by Stevan P. Layne, CPP, CIPM, CIPI

President, IFCPP

There has been considerable discussion and obvious concern about the controversial issue surrounding package inspections at the public entries of our cultural institutions.   Much of the discussion is around the use of metal detection or x-ray devices at points of entry.  In our considerable contacts with a number of institutions, the issue of package inspection is often on the table.  The response has on occasion been very positive, sometimes negative, based on cost of the process, lack of manpower, or concern over public relations.

Package inspection may, but does not HAVE TO involve metal detection.  The first hurdle to overcome in acquiring the institution's full support, both financially and philosophically, is the practice of performing a package inspection or bag check and an individual screening for everyone entering the institution.   The objective is to present a positive image - a strong visible deterrent to bringing weapons, explosives, or contraband onto the property.  We do not believe that to date, "active shooters" involved in documented attacks, have been checked upon entering a building, or have been subject to proper screening processes.  

Bag checks and entry screening should be performed by knowledgeable personnel, specially trained for greeting and screening visitors and staff.  It may include video surveillance at the inspection point, and should be conducted by at least two officers or staff members - one to control the queue, the other to perform the inspection.   A written plan, with detailed instructions, needs to be developed before initiating the process, outlining how to conduct the inspection, and what to do if prohibited items are found.  A supervisor must be available to respond to violations.  Coordination with local police should be completed in advance, particularly with regard to dealing with the discovery of weapons during an inspection.

The determination of what type of equipment to utilize, where to place the inspection station, how to staff, train, and monitor the process must all be completed prior to initiation.  There are several alternatives to specialized equipment to aid in the screening, including walk-through arches, hand-held scanners, electronic turnstiles, and others.  Keep in mind that each process takes a certain amount of time, and heavy pedestrian traffic, especially during opening hours, causes back-ups in waiting lines.  Waiting periods beyond 15 minutes should be avoided.  It should also be understood, that some environments are just not conducive to conducting an inspection.  There must be a controlled entry point or points for this to be accomplished.  At a minimum, bag checks policies should be in place to allow for spot checks of visitors and staff.

Only you can determine if the cost to equip, staff, train, and supervise a proper screening process is worth the return, and how such practices can reasonably contribute to safe operations and life safety for staff and visitors.  Classes are available in set-up, training, equipping, and monitoring, through IFCPP.   Contact info@IFCPP.org for additional information.

The American Hero Channel will feature an upcoming episode on Delf “Jelly” Bryce on March 23rd at 10:00 PM EST or 7:00 PM. Steven C. Millwee was honored to be interviewed about his FBI mentor. Jelly Bryce was born and raised in the same hometown of Mountain View, OK as Mr. Millwee. Bryce had around eight shootouts (kills) during his time with the Oklahoma City Police detective in the late 1920’s, including the infamous shootout with Wilbur Underhill.  Bryce was one of four lawmen personally recruited by Director J. Edgar Hoover that had no college education, much less the mandatory law or accounting degree at that time due to their experience and expertise in shootouts.  

On November 12, 1945, Life Magazine ran an unusual story. It was a photographic study of Jelly Bryce drawing and firing his .357 Magnum in two-fifths of a second, faster than the human eye can follow. In the pictures Bryce dropped a silver dollar from shoulder height with his right hand then drew with the same hand and shot the coin before it reached his waist. What the article did not say was that Bryce could not only draw fast in front of a camera, but also in front of people who were trying to kill him.

"Mr. Bryce was my mentor as a young boy growing up on our family farm, where he taught me how to shoot and avoid getting shot.  Others say he killed 18 men in his career, though he told me of 38", said Millwee.

If you do not get the American Hero Channel, you can watch the episode the day or two after it airs by going to https://www.discoverygo.com/ahc/.

IFCPP is very pleased to announce this year's featured Symposium workshop series...

Leadership: Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great ResultsTM

Do Security Managers as leaders know how to unleash the highest and best contribution of their teams toward their organization's most critical priorities? Today's leaders must be able to see their people as "whole people" - body, heart, mind, and spirit - and manage and lead accordingly. As a result, leaders spend their efforts creating a place where people want to stay and in which they are enabled to offer their best, time and time again.

THE SOLUTION

More than just your average leadership training work session, Leadership: Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great ResultsTM helps leaders discover how to inspire trust and build credibility with their people, define a clear and compelling purpose, create and align systems of success, and unleash the talents and energy of a winning team. Leaders spend their efforts creating a place where people want to stay and contribute their best effort, time and time again, helping your organization achieve its most critical priorities.

Presented by Steve Woolley, CIPM of 98-2 Enterprises
A “grass roots” leader with unique executive experience

Pioneer

•   One of the early Executives in RE/MAX International Inc. considered one of  “50 Companies that Changed the World”

•   RE/MAX International Insurance, Inc. President, of Franchise Services throughout the United States and Canada.

•   Co-founderof Maroon Fire Arabians (Genotype-Phenotype Arabian horse breeding program.)

•   The Wild Life Experience Museum: One of eight Founding Trustees.

•   Safe2Tell Initiative, Board Member and Past Chairman of the Board of  privately supported, State sponsored “not for profit” organization rising out of the Columbine High School tragedy, helping save lives every day.

Leadership Qualities

•   Visionto clarify purposes for strategic decision making.

•   Innovation that works creatively in disruptive business climates.

•   People Skillsthat blend diverse groups together to unleash talent to maximize outcomes.

•   Process Disciplinethat aligns systems for execution on core initiatives.

•   Performance Delivery to build the “dashboard” or “scorecard” metrics that marry execution and money to the bottom line.

Business Expertise

•   Business Startup:

•   Marketing and Branding:

•   Business Planning and Redesign:

•   Business Systems Development

•   Human Capital Stratigist:

Current Collateral Experience:

•   National Advisory Board Member  for IFCPP , “not for profit” association protecting cultural properties.

•   Curriculum Advisor Board Member for L.D.S. Business College

•   Selection Advisor Daniels Fund

•   Platform speakeron Leadership, Change, Business Continuity Strategy and Structure.

Certifications:

•   Member of Global Institute for Leadership Development

•   CIPS Designation

•   Franklin Covey Certified Facilitator

Key Personal Interests

•   Devoted family man married 48 years with 4 married children, 18 grandchildren.

•   Passionate about fly fishing, golf, sporting clays, and upland bird hunting

Last summer, the Denver Art Museum gave its Gallery Officer role a bit of a makeover and renamed the position “Gallery Host.” 

These staff members are still, first and foremost, responsible for object and life safety and receive the same type of training in these areas as the gallery officers previously did.  Hosts also are expected to deliver exceptional customer service and to engage with visitors in substantive and strategic ways. 

Before the transition to the Gallery Host model, many of the DAM’s Gallery Officers already were warm, friendly, knowledgeable folks who provided assistance to visitors. So what’s different now?

The Gallery Hosts’ interactions with visitors are not just reactive. Of course, Gallery Hosts help visitors who approach them with questions, but, when conditions in the gallery allow for it, they also initiate interactions with visitors and engage them in dialogue that will enrich their experiences and help them connect with the museum and its many offerings. 

To help them do this, in addition to their safety training, the Hosts also receive ongoing training about the museum’s artwork and programming. 

The Gallery Host program is part of the museum’s broader strategy to create an environment that welcomes and engages the broadest spectrum of the community.

“A lot of museums have embraced this Gallery Host approach to security, and I think we’ll see a lot more move in this direction in the next few years,” says the DAM’s Director of Visitor Services Jill Boyd. “Cultural institutions are embracing the idea that security and visitor engagement are not mutually exclusive concepts, and that, in fact, the latter can many times help bolster the former. 

“The people who work in the galleries day in and day out know these works of art intimately and, often times, they are the only team members who are with our visitors when they are experiencing the thing they came to the museum to experience. So it makes a lot of sense to train and empower them to help our visitors connect with the artwork and the museum on a deeper level.”

Boyd says that visitors have noticed the change and receive many positive comments about their Gallery Hosts.

The Gallery Hosts and back-of-house Security team work together closely every day to ensure that both people and artwork remain safe, and Boyd says that the transition to the Gallery Host model was only able to be successful because of the awesome support from and collaboration with Director of Protective Services Tony Fortunato and his team.

By Peggy Schaller People The number one priority for any institution is life safety. Museums are no exception and, as public institutions, must make sure we provide a safe place for our staff and volunteers to work and for our visitors to enjoy themselves. The staff interacts with the visitors and patrons on a daily basis. They also are charged with maintaining the building, making sure it is clean and presentable each day for those who come to visit the museum, and with making sure the building and grounds are safe. Staff members are also responsible for the Museum's collections--they document each artifact; prepare and maintain a safe place with proper storage materials for those items in storage; create safe and secure exhibit environments for those items being displayed in the Museum's galleries and public spaces; and maintain a current and accurate inventory of where each item in the collection is located. Volunteers generally work directly with visitors and patrons alongside the paid staff. They may be charged with similar duties or may be assigned to man/woman the galleries and answer questions about the Museum and the exhibition(s). Volunteers may also be enlisted to assist staff with collections care and documentation. As public institutions, Museums are charged with maintaining a safe environment for those who visit or use the resources provided by them. Therefore, the safety of our visitors and patrons is an important part of our jobs as museum staff or volunteers. A large percentage of museum visitors are the most vulnerable sector of our society--our children and our elders. Museums must be safe places for children to learn and have fun; and they must be safe places for elders to enjoy and move through without worries or hazards. Finally, museums, like other businesses, must sometimes rely on outside contractors or workmen to perform maintenance or other tasks within the museum. The safety of these individuals must also be a concern for museum staff. Museum Building The Museum's building is the core of the institution--without it there would be no institution. The building must be protected from fire, vandalism, weather, water, and natural disasters. Routine maintenance is a must and repairs must be made timely to prevent leaks in roofs or skylights; rodent and insect pest problems; and/or unauthorized entry. Regular checks need to be made to the fire detection and suppression systems to ensure they are in working order; if alarms are used, these, too, need to be checked for any problems. Lighting needs to be checked and night security lights must be in working order. The Museum grounds are the first line of defense for the institution. Be sure that they are well lit and that all exterior lighting is working. Keep plantings away from the building's walls--not only are these plants a great place to hide, they encourage small animals to make themselves at home in and around the building's foundation. If you have external exhibits or historic buildings, make sure these are secured against damage or theft both day and night. During open hours one of the best ways to insure the security of historic outbuildings is to utilize volunteer docents to give tours, talks and/or answer visitor's questions about each structure. The Museum's collections--without collections most museums would cease to exist. There are, of course, non-collecting museums, but most small museums have very large collections.   Industry analysts state that in most museums 80% of their collections are in storage at any one time and only 20% are out on display. Therefore, the museum needs to have strategies to protect the collections in storage and the ones on display. There are some small museums that have everything on display, and this makes for a very crowded facility that may be difficult to adequately protect--small items could disappear without anyone even noticing, particularly if much of the display is open and not inside secured cases. Storage facilities need to be secured and have access restricted to only those who are charged with the care of the collection--not everyone needs keys to the store. Displays need to be monitored periodically during the day and checked at closing and again during the opening of the museum. Property of others including items on loan from other institutions for display; items on loan from individuals for display, evaluation or potential donation; and employee and visitor property need to also be protected. Response Policies and Procedures Policies and Procedures MUST be written down and given to every staff member--paid or volunteer--and the Museum administration must not only read, understand and follow the policies themselves, they must make sure all the staff understand and follow them. What policies and procedures? Collections Management Policies and Procedures Hiring Procedures that include background checks for everyone Access Procedures for non-public areas of the museum Excerpt from Security for the Small Museum Workshop available through Collections Research for Museums and presented by Peggy Schaller regionally to small (tiny) museums wanting to learn low and no cost security options. For more information on this workshop visit the  Collections Research for Museums website.

By Fiona Graham, Conservator, Canadian Museum of Nature; Sarah Spafford-Ricci, Royal Saskatchewan Museum and Lisa Kronthal, National Sciences Foundation Lesson No. 1 It helps when the firefighters know and love your museum Invite firefighters to tour your museum Host a party for families of firefighters and police officers Lesson No.2 Construction brings extra hazards Watch what your contractors are doing Develop guidelines for contractors working in museums Know what equipment and materials they will be using Lesson No. 3 Construction increases the fire risk Insist on a fire watch Make sure your fire detection and suppression systems are not compromised Lesson No. 4 Fire is bad - sprinklers are good OR A little water is better than too much or none at all Lesson No. 5 Consider the fire risk when designing exhibitions and storage layouts Don't block sprinklers Don't overheat fluid-preserved specimens Think twice before designing a labyrinth Lesson No. 6 Leaky cases mean dirty specimens If an air-tight case is not a good idea, include filtered holes or use positive pressure from a clean air source Lesson No. 7 Always clean with dry methods before using wet methods Lesson No. 8 Soot is insoluble Don't try to "solubilize" soot Try to lift it instead Oily components will come with the carbon particles Executive Summary: Planning can make a big difference

by Stevan P. Layne, CPP, CIPM, CIPI, IFCPP Founding Director

As much as we’d like to ignore the problem, attacks on public places/events are in the news.  They are not going away, and in fact, are predicted to increase.   An interesting fact, from reviewing reports of active shooter events, special event intrusions, and “gate crasher” incidents…is that none of the successful intrusions took place where an objective entry screen was performed.  Entry screens run the gamut from casual observation by a properly trained staff member, to full bag check/metal detection and personal electronic screening.

The decision to perform entry screening will probably be based on your budgetary capabilities, the size of your staff, and your ability to conduct this procedure with little or no loss of visitor services.    Whichever method you choose, it must be done professionally and consistently, by trained professionals.  Your public and staff entries (all of them) should be properly configured to allow for reasonable inspection of people and containers, and, for the smooth flow of people through the inspection point.  Each location should be staffed by one full time person, with either a second person on hand or in close proximity.   Another consideration is how to handle restricted articles when they are found.  This should be considered as a significant policy, reviewed by legal counsel, and verified in writing from the highest authority in your institution.   

Some states/municipalities are now dealing with “open carry” laws, in addition to conceal/carry permits, which should also be addressed as a part of the inspection process. We can’t interpret the law in your jurisdiction.  That’s always going to be up to your administration, following the advice of your legal counsel.    IFCPP’s position will remain in opposition of allowing any weapons to be brought onto the property, except by authorized law enforcement officers within their own jurisdiction.

IFCPP will be adding a session on package inspection to all of its certification programs in 2016.   In addition, any organization wishing to offer a session on package inspection – including methods and performance – may schedule an onsite, two hour training program at any location.  The session includes each aspect of preparing for and conducting reasonable inspections.   Contact Info@IFCPP.org for additional information or scheduling. 

As we have been advising for some time, entry screening at all public (and staff) entries is a viable prevention tool in deterring armed intrusion.  Recent terror-related events, in a variety of environments, have initiated placement of metal detection procedures in such iconic locations as Disney Parks, Sea World, and Universal Studios.   Some of our larger institutions have also introduced metal detection at their public entries.  Ball parks and stadiums ramped up their screening some time ago.  The screening process is labor intensive, and not inexpensive.  Enhancing life safety is a necessary expense.  Many businesses and public institutions have given casual attention to entry screening, by simply observing entry points.  It’s not enough.  

Some organizations cannot afford expensive equipment for scanning people and containers.   Those with limited budgets and/or limited staff should not ignore the need to screen every person, and every container entering your institution.  We recognize the fact that in some locations the process is nearly impossible, especially those with an open perimeter, “open campus” environment.   Wherever possible, where entry points may be controlled, screening should be initiated.

Any level of package screening/personal screening needs to be introduced in a professional, “visitor friendly” manner.   No one likes being subjected to scrutiny by a stranger, or a person of authority.  There is no reason why screening cannot be conducted while maintaining a high level of customer service.  It’s all in the attitude, and how the search is conducted.  Screening personnel do not necessarily need to be security officers.  There must be more than one person assigned to each screening point, or at least have the close proximity of a supervisor to respond.   The entire screening process needs to be formally documented, published, and distributed to assigned personnel.   Hands-on training, covering every step of the process, must be conducted so that every person assigned is prepared to handle a variety of scenarios which may occur during entry screening.

Do not forget the affect your screening process may have on persons entering the property.  The public needs to be informed of what is required of them, treated with respect and courtesy, and kept moving forward at a reasonable pace.   IFCPP will offer a complete training package in the process of introducing and conducting proper entry screening.  The next time you enter a location utilizing entry screening, take the time to observe how others do it, and the effectiveness of the process.

By Robert Carotenuto, CPP, PCI, PSP and the ASIS International Cultural Properties Council Short Term (Right Now!) Remember your organization's mission and ensure that you continue to follow it. Raise awareness by communicating with your staff. Learn and understand your staff's concerns. Discuss with local law enforcement potential threats to your institution. Let staff know how they can help, e.g. "If you see something, say something". Know what your neighbors are doing. Sharing ideas and information helps build a resilient community. Long-term Site Survey and Risk Assessment (Annual review at minimum) Look at your institution with a fresh pair of eyes to uncover potential vulnerabilities. Review your policies and procedures. Review all the resources at your disposal, both internal and external. Learn and understand ongoing concerns of your staff. Discuss with local law enforcement potential threats to your institution. Review your institution's daily operating procedures to understand how any changes in security procedures might adversely impact them. Plan and Implement Solutions Develop a plan of action based upon your site survey and risk assessment. Physical site hardening takes time, planning, and money, all of which might not be possible, nor a cost-effective means of addressing your institution's risks. Do ensure that what physical security measures you have are working and in good condition-locks, doors, gates, bollards, access control, fencing, CCTV. Communicate your plan Internal: emails, staff newsletter, staff meetings, training manuals and training sessions. External: let local law enforcement know your concerns and see how they might be able to assist you with an increased presence at your facility. Make sure all your internal and external contact information is correct and up to date. Implement a heightened alert plan when threat levels increase. A pre-determined plan with action items that can quickly be implemented in order to raise organization wide security awareness and response to counter and reduce the threat. Move security posts to forward positions and provide security officers with specific post orders designed to counter/reduce the threat. Perform staff training Review policies and procedures with your staff on what to do in various emergency scenarios-make it real for them! Tabletop exercises and drills will help reinforce training. Let all staff know that they can help through their own observations. If you see something, say something. Trust your instincts and report any suspicious persons, suspicious behavior, and suspicious packages. Consider a behavioral approach to target hardening The Mall of America uses trained plain clothes security professionals to engage visitors whose activities are out of the norm. All potential wrongdoers fear detection and so will display certain typical stress characteristics. Create a baseline of what is considered "normal" behavior at your facility. Activity out of the norm might be a single male in his 30s spending time in an area where the average visitor is between 5-10 years of age accompanied by one or two parents. This approach allowed one of our security officers to identify a vagrant who was eventually removed from our grounds. Define what suspicious behavior is specific to your organization and train all staff (security and non-security staff) on how to report or respond when suspicious behavior is observed. What is suspicious in one organization may be normal behavior in others. For example taking photographs and video at a museum is normal guest behavior but it is not normal for photographs or video be taken of security equipment, posts, employee areas, etc. Engage every visitor to your institution with a simple greeting. The retail industry has deployed this security tactic effectively for years and studies have shown that such an approach does reduce criminal activity. If you have the resources, consider having some of your security officers work in plain clothes in order to help detect any possible perpetrators, such as pickpockets during times of high visitation. Screening All deliveries to your facility. If you have the resources, consider screening all visitor vehicles and bags. Consider a package or bag policy that will not allow visitors to enter your facility with any package or bag beyond a certain size. Best of all possible worlds is a no bag policy, but this might not be practical for the visitors to your institution based upon your culture and risk profile. Employee Travel Review the US Department of State website for updated travel warnings and alerts. Staff traveling on company business should provide detailed itineraries so their locations can be pin-pointed if and when something happens.  Whenever a terrorist event occurs somewhere in the world, one of the first questions your organization should ask is:  "Do we have any staff traveling there?" Those who work for a company that travels abroad you can sign up for the OSAC report, and receive it daily, which is always informative for specific countries or this sort of alert.  Advise your staff that they should register with the local US consulate abroad, if there is one, and you should have a planned exit strategy, such as first flight out of a war zone to first safe destination. Key Points for Security Personnel Be visible. Be vigilant. Be proactive. Engage all visitors and staff. If you see something, say something. Robert Carotenuto, CPP, PCI, PSP is Associate Vice President for Security at The New York Botanical Garden in the heart of the Bronx. His more than twenty years of security experience in cultural property protection include sixteen years at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Metropolitan Museum, he served as the Associate Security Manager for Physical Security and the Command Center, focusing on fire and electronic security systems, emergency management, and business continuity. Robert is currently the Vice Chair of the ASIS International Cultural Properties Council, past Chair and current Vice Chair of the American Alliance for Museums Security Committee, a member of the ASIS International Academic and Training Council, and an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Security, Fire, and Emergency Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He holds Master of Science degrees in Computer Information Systems and Protection Management from Baruch College and John Jay College respectively.

By Steve Layne and Peggy Schaller Reprinted from August 2014 Collections Caretaker

With all the conflicts in the Middle East and around the world; the threat of domestic and international terrorism; and increasing domestic violence, it is critical that we all be aware of our surroundings. As unpleasant as these issues are to contemplate everyone involved in the protection of public institutions and their collections needs to be alert for suspicious persons and activities, including some who may be in our workforce.  Remind others to "See Something, Say Something!"  This means if you see ANY thing out of order or hear anything which touches on subversive activity, write it down and report it, now!  This applies in your workplace and any public space including schools, public transportation, and airports. The more people who are aware of their surroundings, the more chance we have of preventing a violent incident.

Think about a security awareness briefing for all staff, volunteers, and even regular contractors for your institution.  Make sure that everyone has the tools to be aware and react proactively to any suspicious activity. It's never too early (hopefully not too late) to begin development of a disaster preparedness element in your emergency operations plan. Be prepared and don't let a simple incident turn into a disaster.