4
Mar
2015
By Calvin at 13:35 GMT, 9 years ago
Thanks to Hertfordshire Police for bringing my attention to the following:
In May 2013 English Heritage published a crime prevention guide entitled ‘Heritage Crime Prevention: A Guide for Owners, Tenants and Managers of Heritage Assets’.
The guide uses the ’25 techniques of crime prevention’ to provide help in deciding what things people might do to prevent heritage crime.
Useful as it might be for those who know little about crime prevention techniques the guide is very basic and repeatedly refers the reader to the local planning authority if in doubt about proposed works to heritage sites. Whilst this is perfectly understandable (as offences could be committed) the guide is nevertheless light on solutions that could be considered, such as acceptable crime prevention measures used at other similar heritage sites.
Each heritage site will be different of course, as will the crimes they suffer, but there are some sensible solutions that should at least be suggested, so that those responsible for developing a plan of action have some sense of what can and cannot be achieved.
For example, the theft of lead has been a constant problem for heritage sites (causing untold damage when the rain gets in) and yet the guide makes no specific mention of lead stamping, forensic marking or roof alarms; solutions that have been used successfully at a number of sites.
By all means add plenty of warnings about the need for planning consent and seeking further guidance, but the inclusion of appropriate and practical solutions used at other heritage sites would surely make this guide even more useful.
See the guide at the link below or find from the Library – Heritage Sites and Buildings
Heritage Crime Prevention Guide: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/heritage-crime-prevention-guide/
