The role of the police in the co-production of art security in London

Abstract

Art’s current popularity in London is unprecedented. With three of the five most visited art spaces in the world, London has eight galleries and museums with more than a million annual visitors.1 In the UK, there are 28.6 million visits every year to locations run by the National Trust, English Heritage and the Historic House Association. Furthermore, with 18% of the global auction house market in 2012 (Artprice.com), London is a crucial hub along with New York, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in the global art market. Following on from the fundamental question of “Who should the police be?”2 this chapter examines the role of the public police in the securitization and policing of art in London.