The UK’s Museums Association has issued a statement saying the “systemic underfunding” of the museum sector has “undermined” the safeguarding of collections after thousands of items in the British Museum’s collection were stolen.
In the statement dated 23 August, the Museums Association also said thefts by members of staff, or ‘inside jobs’, are “extremely unusual”.
“The recent theft of a substantial number of items from the British Museum has focused attention on the security of our collections and has led to speculation that theft by members of staff is a widespread but hidden problem in museums,” the association said.
The association, which represents more than 10,000 museum and gallery workers and over 1,500 cultural institutions, added: “We can categorically say that theft from collections by people who work in museums is, fortunately, incredibly rare.”
In a statement last week, British Museum director Hartwig Fischer also described the incident as “highly unusual”. The institution has sacked a member of staff and started an independent review of security. The Met Police’s Economic Crime Command is investigating.
The Museums Association said stealing from collections “goes against our ethical code”, which states that employees should “act in the public interest, take care of collections, and act with integrity”.
It continued, “Museums should have clear procedures in place, including whistleblowing polices, so that they can safeguard collections and be alert to any attempts, internal or external, to steal from them.
Inside jobs are “extremely unusual”
“Unfortunately the systemic underfunding of the sector over the past ten years has undermined some of these procedures.
“Restructures and redundancies have led to a loss of expertise and a weakening of the normal systems of checks and balances that take place within institutions.”
The association has called for future investment in museums “so that we can continue to safeguard and share collections with communities across the UK”.
Meanwhile, officials in Greece and Nigeria are demanding the return of the Parthenon marbles and Benin bronzes after the British Museum thefts.
