[MSN] FW: Seeking museum security training video/dvd

[MSN]

David Tarler, JD
Enforcement and Training Coordinator
National Park Service
National NAGPRA Program (2253)
202/354-2108 voice
202/371-5197 fax
----- Forwarded by David Tarler/WASO/NPS on 03/10/2008 03:14 PM 

Dear Colleagues:

P.J. Ryan, longtime editor of Thunderbear (
http://www.workingnet.com/thunderbear/), was working at John Muir NHS (CA)
in the 70's when Muir's pocket-watch was stolen from the park's museum
collection. About the same time I worked at Tonto NM (AZ) and a burglary
resulted in the loss of two polychrome bowls from our museum. I also recall
about the same time their being losses from the museum at Montezuma Castle
National Monument (Arizona). As far as we know, the Muir & Tonto items have
yet to be recovered, though we keep our eyes and ears open for same. It got
PJ and me thinking that it might be worthwhile to see if a training video
was available to help with training museum employees/professionals in
security and recovery. This was reinforced just this weekend while teaching
a class of new SiteWatch stewards (several of which volunteer at museum
entrance/info. desk) when I was asked if there were behaviors and
characteristics to be on the watch for, and whom to report to (example: a
visitor asking you if the park purchases John Muir objects, because their
grandfather has his watch: what-to-do). The FBI's Art Theft coordinator and
their senior SA is not familiar with an available already produced training
program in this area. IF you know of something that is already available,
and in-place, PLEASE let us know. We're looking and would appreciate your
assistance. There are "networks" out there, but we're hoping for a short
nuts and bolts program to get employees thinking about their gallery/museum
environment and the security of same.
THANKS-in-ADVANCE,
Phil Young
pyoung2002 at comcast.net