SUBTOPIC: THE REPORTING REACTION:

SHOULD YOU OR SHOULDN’T YOU?

by

Robert E. Spiel, Jr.

Robert E. Spiel Associates, L.L.C.

549 W. Randolph Street, Suite 425

Chicago, Illinois 60661

Phone: 312-258-0646

Fax: 312-258-0815

E-mail: spiel@arttheft.com

Whether to report a collection loss to law enforcement is an issue whether we like it or not. Sometimes museums do not report because they do not know of the loss, and sometimes because they do not want to. Reasons for both phenomena are offered and approaches to increase reporting are suggested.

1. Introduction

1. Whether to report a possible museum theft to law enforcement should be considered

an issue for 2 reasons:

1. Many museum managers consider it an issue, whether we in this room like it or not.

In short, many times these managers do not want to.

1. Reporting depends, obviously, on knowing the loss has occurred. This is not the

issue of whether you want to, but whether you can.

1. Reporting concerns museum security - museum management relations

1. Discussion of Knowledge Issue

1. How to Increase and Accelerate Knowledge of Losses

1. What retailers call inventories

1. Streamline inventories as resources dictate: spot checks, most important

objects first, etc.

1. Increase inventorying resources by using volunteers

1. Storage Rooms (worst offenders)

1. Upgrade access control and detection hardware
2. Tighten administrative procedures

1. Can you imagine other methods?

1. Why Increase and Accelerate Knowledge of Loss, Considering the Associated

Expense and Inconvenience?

1. Avoid gambling with embarrassment and negative publicity which will result from

delayed knowledge.

1. Increase probability of prompt recovery
1. Can you think of other reasons museum administrators may not have considered?

1. Discussion of "Want To" Issue

1. Why don’t some museum managers want to report?

1. Discourage donors - private, institutional, government
2. Negative publicity
3. Fear of copycat crimes
4. Insufficient insurance/lack of confidence in police - why bother?
5. Fear of police: What else will they discover at the museum?
6. Desire to believe that loss is only a misplacement and that it is temporary

1. Why should they want to report?

1. Only realistic possibility of recovery
2. Worse publicity if choose not to report and later caught. This could easily happen.

Ditto re donor relationships.

1. Copycat crimes in museums are infrequent

known from police investigation

prosecution will prevent at least some future thefts

f. Can you imagine other benefits from reporting which your museum managers may not have considered?