Heritage Crime Special Interest Group

Background and Aims 

This is a newly formed Group, agreed by the Board of Directors in October 2022. The area of interest for the Heritage Crime Group is heritage and cultural property crime - terrestrial and maritime. Heritage crime is defined as: ‘Any offence involving damage or loss to the historic environment, including all offences involving cultural property.’ Cultural property in this instance includes artefacts associated with any aspect of the historic environment.'

With new sentencing guidelines for England & Wales and a decade of Heritage crime being studied and challenged, archaeologists are increasingly being called upon as police volunteers and Heritage Crime Advisers to provide a range of investigative and prosecution support including the writing of Impact Statements to support sentencing uplifts. While heritage organisations and law enforcement agencies are working together to better understand the impact of heritage crime, prosecute offenders and help prevent future crimes, This SIG is a hub for both sectors to promote awareness, training and continuing partnership working.

The aims of the Heritage Crime SIG are:

• To raise awareness of the impact of heritage and cultural property crime.
• To help prevent heritage and cultural property crime through signposting of resources including training and guidance.
• To bring together interested parties to identify partnerships and opportunities across heritage and law enforcement.
• To explore with the CIfA Board of Directors the establishment of a register and panel of experts in heritage and cultural property crime.

CIfA2024 conference - Heritage Crime; prevention, investigation and enforcement developments & opportunities session recording

The session brought together archaeologists from a range of backgrounds, police and other enforcement professionals, and businesses with case studies and experience of partnership working from across the UK. Illegal metal detecting, theft of lead and artefacts from churches, damage to historic wrecks, along with anti-social behaviour and criminal damage were all explored. Each session concluded with a Q&A discussion.

• The development of Heritage Crime Practice in the UK     Mark Harrison
• Heritage Protection developments in Wales    Jonathon Berry
• Working with the Police; volunteering opportunities and challenges    Jenny Kent
• Tackling Heritage Crime in partnership    Andy Bliss
• Heritage Crime Training and Skills - where do we go from here?    Aisling Nash
• Countering Heritage crime in the marine zone    Hefin Meara
• Heritage Crime Panel Discussion    Chair Paul Jeffery

The Archaeologist HCSIG Takeover!

The Summer 2024 issue of The Archaeologist was guest edited by the Heritage Crime Special Interest Group. It includes updates from around the UK and articles on some exciting developments in technology and partnership practice. Grab a cuppa and have a read on this link The Archaeologist 122 today.

Newsletters and publications

Newsletter update February 2024

Protecting our past by Paul Jeffery, an article in The Professional Mountaineer magazine Autumn 2024

Join the Group

The Group is open to anybody with interests, concerns or involvement with the group aims, and is free to CIfA members through the Members area login. Those who are not members of the institute will need to pay an annual £10 fee and can join here.

Twitter: Follow us on Twitter- @CIfA_HC!
Group Email: please email images, events, good news, articles and links to groups@archaeologists.net with 'Heritage Crime Group' in the subject line. 

Group Committee

Paul Jeffery (Chair)
Aisling Nash (Secretary)
Annie Partridge (Treasurer)
Alison James
Jenny Kent
Jonathan Berry
Jonathan Gladwin
Peter Reavill
Kirsty Squires

Future events

For information about other upcoming events, please visit our event calendar.

Three year plan

To be agreed

AGM minutes

Committee minutes

To follow shortly