NCJ Number
139182
Date Published
1992
Length
79 pages
Annotation
A survey was conducted to determine the level of security and the number of incidents that have occurred in Dutch museums.
Abstract
About 60 percent of all museums in the Netherlands have reported incidents in the last 5 years. Notable were the large number of "non-deliberate" incidents such as technical problems that occurred particularly in the small museums. The most reported "deliberate" incidents were theft from the exhibition space and vandalism. The victimization rate of Dutch museums is not particularly high, and the majority of museums report the probability that the number of incidents remains at the same level as 5 years earlier. The organizational emphasis on safety is minimal, and little attention is directed to administrative issues such as standard procedures for incidents, management of keys, and the lending of objects. An international risk rating system for museums is recommended. The security of museums can be rated objectively only on the basis of minimum standard rules for security. 17 references and 3 appendixes