Heritage Crime

Heritage crime is defined as 'any offence which harms the value of England's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations.'

England's heritage assets include:

• World Heritage Sites
• Scheduled monuments;
• Listed Buildings
• Protected marine wreck sites
• Conservation Areas
• Registered Parks and Gardens
• Registered Battlefields
• Protected military remains of aircraft and vessels of historic interest
• Undesignated but acknowledged heritage buildings and sites e.g. local designations.

There is a consent regime and specific offences in law to protect certain designated heritage assets against damage and unlicensed alteration.

However, crime such as theft, removal of objects of historic interest, criminal damage, arson and offences of anti-social behaviour can also lead to harm to heritage assets.

How widespread is heritage crime?

The true extent of heritage crime is difficult to measure: this is due to the way in which it is currently recorded and because it tends to be under-reported by victims.

The 2009 English Heritage study of illegal metal detecting and the first National Strategic Assessment completed in November 2010 by English Heritage indicates that the problem is growing and reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg.

The 2010 study found that arson, architectural theft (including metal theft), removal of artefacts from protected sites and vehicle nuisance pose the greatest threats. For example the number of insurance claims in 2010 for metal theft from churches is twenty times as many as that in 2005.

The Heritage Crime Initiative is being spearheaded by English Heritage, the Police (through the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Each of the three organisations has signed a memorandum of understanding on tackling heritage crime (MoU) which delineates responsibilities between the three strategic partners English Heritage, ACPO and CPS.

Local authorities will also be encouraged to join this coordinated effort and sign the MoU. The following local authorities are signatories:

1. Canterbury City Council

2. Ipswich Borough Council

3. Cheshire West and Chester Council

4. Dover District Council

5. Norfolk County Council

6. Hertfordshire County Council

7. Northamptonshire County Council

A partnership model for the enforcement of heritage crime was agreed on after months of discussions with the Police and other organisations in several authorities. These included those involved in wildlife crime prevention, local authorities, professional groups responsible for regulation of historic buildings and sites and community groups with an interest in the area.

The aim was to set a model for future prevention and enforcement that is realistic, efficient, within existing and anticipated resources, sustainable and with the capacity to grow its coverage and effectiveness over time.

The model of Neighbourhood Policing, established to tackle the crime and day to day anti social behaviours most affecting local neighbourhoods provides a useful model for tackling heritage crime.

Reducing heritage crime 

Local communities are being urged to understand what heritage assets they have in their area that may be at risk of irreversible damage from crime and to report suspicious behaviours to their neighbourhood policing teams.

The profile and accountability of heritage crimes among police officers will also increase. For the first time, there is a national lead in ACPO on heritage crimes, Chief Constable Richard Crompton of Lincolnshire Police, with a dedicated portfolio holder in many police forces across the country.

Neighbourhood Policing and community involvement is expected to contribute considerably to improved intelligence and data on the ground.

The national agencies will be responsible for encouraging the use and development of the model at a local level.

The initiative will be focused on the following geographical areas for the first 12 months:

• East Region - all counties
• South East Region - Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Hampshire
• South West Region - Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset
• National Parks - Exmoor, New Forest, Northumberland, Peak District and South Downs.

These areas were selected because they have a particularly high number of heritage assets and because local stakeholders were willing to get involved in the initiative.

In addition representatives from more than 40 organisations, ranging from The National Trust, The Church of England, Crime Stoppers and the Ministry of Defence to National Parks, The Woodland Trust and The Historic Houses Association have come together to set up the Alliance to Reduce Crime against Heritage (ARCH).

ARCH is a new voluntary national network that will be used to take forward a range of initiatives and galvanise local action against heritage crime

Find out more about ARCH.

The following issues will be given priority:

• Preventing and detecting criminal damage caused to the historic environment.
• Preventing and detecting unlawful excavation and removal of articles from the historic environment.
• Preventing and detecting architectural theft from the historic environment.
• Prevention and enforcement of unauthorised works to listed buildings.

These categories are deliberately broad and will be refined over time with improved intelligence.

Next steps

Over the next few months we will be:

• Encouraging the use and development of the partnership model in the identified areas. However, if you are not within one of those areas we would still encourage you to set up the model in your own area.
• Encouraging local authorities to sign up to the Memorandum of Understanding.
• Publishing a range of guidance including a Guide for Sentencers, Heritage Impact Statements, Out of Court Disposals, Risk Assessment Guidance for Heritage Assets and Heritage Crime prevention measures.
• Working closely with colleagues to develop a range of training courses on topics such as investigation techniques, evidence gathering and forensic methods.

How can I get involved?

Some excellent partnerships are already developing across the country to tackle heritage crime and we hope that this will continue with the support of the heritage sector and local communities in the future.

If you are interested in finding out more about the initiative or getting involved whether as a volunteer or by signing up to the Memorandum of Understanding if you are a local authority, please contact English Heritage's Customer Services Department. 

Email: customers@english-heritage.org.uk

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