MUSEUM SECURITY: A CONTEMPORARY INTEGRATED APPROACH
By Praise Bwai
Introduction
The concept of museum security embraces protection and safety of the museum collections, buildings, premises, staff and her visitors, as well as her collections on transit within the country and across international borders.
Museum security is dynamic in keeping with the changing times. Traditional security practices such as manned guarding alone are not sufficient to keep would-be criminals at bay.
Modern security technologies such as video surveillance, motion detectors, intruder alarms and other physical security devices also play an equally important role in securing museum.
Regrettably, having all these security measures in place do not absolutely guarantee safety against crime.
Museum security, for legitimate visitors, should be nearly invisible; on the contrary, it should be apparent for the would-be criminal.
An integrated security approach combines policies, procedures, personnel and hardware to protect museum collections from unexpected losses caused by crime, negligence, fire, or other catastrophic events. Four concepts are implicit in such a system:
i. The museum premises itself is a system, and security is one of the subsystems.
ii. Identifying objectives precisely and clearly is the most important step to be taken in designing an effective system.
iii. No single subsystem or component can achieve a security system’s overall objectives.
Subsystems must complement each other to make the system efficient and ultimately successful
iv. Subsystems and components are interdependent within a system, changes in one part affects the whole system and may have unexpected consequences.
For example, placing an air handler in a museum collection storage area might be an efficient use of space, but it complicates access control, adds a potential source of ignition, and increases the risk of accidental damage to museum objects.
Operational Security
When designing a new security system or redesigning the existing one, one will need to remove the identified risks.
Then the day-to-day operating procedures can be developed and implemented, as well as the emergency procedures. Security personnel are appropriately trained on the new or revised system.
The value of cooperation in security planning is never more apparent than in the design phase of a new project-a new exhibition, a new storage facility, or refurnishing and restoring a historic structure.
Collaboration of curators, security specialists, architects, engineers, exhibition experts, historic preservation specialists, interpreters, maintenance personnel and fire safety professionals often can often resolve security issues before they become a problem.
Before the work starts, a written list of minimum security standards which include the following should be prepared:
• Proximity to the exhibition area
• Tour-size, type (self-guide versus staff-guided) and tour route
• Proximity of exhibits (objects on display) to the tour path
• Features that limit public access
• Security issues raised by making exhibits accessible to persons with disabilities
• Vulnerability of exhibits to theft, vandalism, touching and accidental damage.
All the issues raised above and any other should be resolved before the design is approved to avoid the need to make costly corrections later.
Physical Security
This includes all the measures intended to prevent acts of violence against persons and destructive or unauthorized access to or removal of property.
Physical security elements deny, delay, or discourage criminal acts, and are means for achieving the objectives of the access control policy.
Physical security is a crime prevention tool. Three factors have to be present for a crime to occur; they are means, motive and opportunity. There are many a number physical security tools, the most basic ones are barriers, locks and light in addition to human guard.
Barriers limit access by delaying the intruder, by making the intruder visible or both. Given enough time, a determined person can breach the most elaborate barrier, but entry can be discouraged by increasing the time it takes and the chances of being seen and by encouraging the criminal to look for an easier target elsewhere.
Properly installed locks are one of the first lines of defense in a museum protection program.
An effective locking system must fit the needs of the museum buildings and of the space it protects. Many types of locks are available, but they are not all equally effective in all circumstances.
Isolated spaces and high security areas need heavy-duty locks. In addition, protective features such as alarms can supplement the locks.
Good lighting makes criminals nervous because it increases chances of detection and identification.
It is not the intensity of the lighting as much as the evenness of the illumination that makes a lighting system effective. The area should be free of glare and shadows.
Light close to structures should illuminate toward the structure, not out and away from the structure.
A properly designed lighting system eliminates hiding places and facilitates the ability of security patrols to observe.
Electronic System
These electronic systems (e.g. CCTV, alarm system) are only extension of staff eyes and ears, they only provide information.
There are four important questions to ask before selecting an electronic security system to protect museum collections, they are:
• What is the threat?
• How vulnerable are the collections?
• Are there restrictions on the installation?
With the wide range of technology available, devices in period rooms do not have to be intrusive. Some security experts argue that making detectors visible serve as deterrent.
Others make case that visible detectors give away valuable information a thief can use to defeat the system and allow the potential burglar to spot weak point.
Management has to make the final decision based on the level of threat, the value and vulnerability of the collection, and the interpretive objectives.
In the case the choice is visible detectors, there are several things that can be done to minimize the information a potential thief can get while walking through the premises. It is more appropriate to mix visible and hidden devices. Visible detectors signal the would-be thief that there is a protection system, while the hidden devices provide a backup if the tries to exploit perceived weakness.
Adequate security must be made for both day-time and night period to achieve an efficient security system for the museum in its entirety.
Praise Bwai is an Assistant Chief Antiquity Protection Officer with National Museum, Jos, Plateau State.
References
Burke, R. B., and Adeloye, S. (1986). A Manual of Basic Museum Security.
Paris, France: International Council of Museums (ICOM), International
Committee on Museum Security.
Department of the Army. (1879). Physical Security. Field Manual No 19-30.
Washington, D. C.: Department of the Army.
Fennelly, L. J., 91983). Museum, Archive, and Library Security. Boston:
Butterworths.
The American Society for Industrial Security. Available at www.asisonline.
org. retrieved on 27/06/2023.
