Art galleries ‘prime target’ for criminal activity

Britain’s art galleries are a prime target for criminals, according to research by specialist heritage insurer Ecclesiastical.

According to a poll of 100 galleries, more than four in five (84%) experienced a crime in the last 12 months, with verbal abuse (26%), anti-social behaviour (24%), criminal damage (23%) and theft (23%) the most frequent crimes reported.

The results suggest crime in galleries has increased since Ecclesiastical’s last study in 2021, when 81% of galleries reported crimes.

Four in five galleries (82%) said they are more concerned about crime since the cost-of-living crisis, with almost three quarters (72%) expecting a further increase in crime over the next year.

Galleries reported being proactive about crime prevention. Nearly all (97%) have introduced new measures to protect the organisation and deter criminals during the past 12 months, including CCTV, alarms, security guards and patrols, and additional cyber security.
 
Despite investing in security, 77% of gallery workers said their organisations need to do more to prevent crime.

“There are a number of measures galleries can take to better secure property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection,” said Faith Kitchen, Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical.

“Reviewing perimeter security arrangements, ensuring entry points are well lit and secured can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera.”