NCJ Number
171987
Journal
Security Management Volume: 41 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1997) Pages: 45-46,48,51-52,54
Date Published
1997
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the planning and execution of security measures for a special-events festival at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Abstract
The event was an Italian Celebration, which involved a presentation of Italian culture through food, crafts, and music as a context for displaying the landmark exhibit, "In the Light of Italy," which consisted of landscape paintings of Italy by European artists between 1780 and 1840. During the 2-month festival, more than 196,000 people visited the museum. Despite the constant activity, the museum experienced no major crime, serious emergencies, or significant accidents. The superintendent of protection attributes this success to good planning and the professional attitude of the entire museum staff. This article describes the security planning, security procedures implemented during construction related to the Italian Celebration, and the various aspects of security executed during the event itself. Security issues profiled in this article are the identification of museum staff, volunteers, and contractors; crowd control; first-aid and medical services; daily security procedures; special hazards; and protection of the exhibits.