I must disagree with Nick, and say cameras are NOT the answer, they are a
supliment to a security presence.  A few questions about your situation.
Are there any offices, art storage, etc. in the areas the public will go?
If yes are they secured with at a minimum a key?  Is the art on your walls
secured to the wall with security hangers?  Are your pedistals screwed to
the floor and the objects on them secured to the pedistal?  Is there
plexiglass covering the high risk objects?

Your Security Director is a little over the top by saying no unguided
tours, but if your employees are safe (behind locked doors) and the art is
relatively safe from normal activities, I see no reason to restrict visitor
walking around at their leisure.  About security cameras, they can be as
much as a problem as a help.  If you install fake ones (to save $) they may
be a deterrant, but if something really does happen, someone can sue you
easily because they thought the camera was on.  If you have real cameras,
they still can be easily overcome, just because they hardly ever cover the
entire room, or if they rotate, they always leave a part of the room
uncovered.  If you only have cameras, you will need one in every room to be
the most effective.  So how many rooms do you have?  So how many banks of
tv screens will the central security person have to look at constantly?
Then think, if something really does happen, and there is noone on the
floor to respond very quickly, how long will the response time be for whom
ever is around!  Easy way to get stuff stolen or damaged if it takes 5
minutes for someone to get there!  The same thing goes for first aid.  If
someone has a heart attack, and all you have are cameras, that person will
probably die before someone can get there!

So, now, you should have a security person at every entrance to moniter who
and what is coming into the museum.  And depending on how large your
galleries are, you should have at least 1 person per floor to respond to
emergencies and to patrol the galleries.  Nick is correct, however, in
saying you do need to do a risk analysis to figure out what your minimum
needs are.  I can explain furthur if you wish, but off the list so as to
not compromise the security at my museum!  Email me if you wish, and I hope
this little bit helps!

Jason Onerheim
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
[log in to unmask]


On 13 Feb 2003, Ellerbee, Genevieve wrote:
> We're a Washington, DC museum that is having some issues crop up =
> regarding visitors and the heightened security of the moment.  It's =
> coming down to a tug-of-war between our director and the head of =
> security as to how free our visitors can be walking through the museum.
=
> It's not so much security for visitors as they enter, but rather how to =
> treat them once they're physically in the building (which also holds =
> offices and a library).  We offer docent tours, but also have a =
> self-guide that takes visitors to the first and second floors of the =
> museum only, and that is what our head of security is wanting to =
> abolish.  Are people doing anything special to restrict access to any =
> parts of their building by visitors?  We considered having a roving =
> patrol monitoring the first and second floors, but that would pose a =
> manpower problem.  I'd really appreciate people sharing their =
> experiences and concerns and practices to see if we can come up with =
> something that satisfies our needs and doesn't compromise security.
>
> Genevieve Ellerbee
> Associate Registrar
> DAR Museum
> Washington, DC
> 202.628.1776 x331  =20
>

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