Gloucester Cathedral will play host to a Heritage Crime seminar this week as key partners attempt to tackle the growing problem of historic crime across the county.
Police, alongside English Heritage, Gloucestershire County Council, The Diocese of Gloucester and other partner agencies will gather together in the Laud Room of the Cathedral between 9.30am and 3.30pm on Thursday April 11.
By bringing stakeholders together, the event aims to help tackle growing issue of heritage crime which ranges from theft of metal from historic buildings through to the desecration of memorials and monuments.
Jon Palfrey, Gloucestershire Constabulary's Force Rural and Environmental Crime Officer, said: "We're really grateful to Gloucester Cathedral for kindly donating the use of the Lauds Room for such an important event.
"This event is an opportunity for partner agencies to all get together a help find a way of tackling the growing issue of heritage crime.
"Heritage crime affects all of us as it blights the fabric of our society. By holding this event we hope to raise awareness of this issue"
Keynote speaker is Mark Harrison, English Heritage National Policing & Crime Advisor who will be delivering a presentation on the Alliance to Reduce Crime against Heritage (ARCH), a voluntary national network aimed at galvanizing local action as part of the Heritage Crime Programme.
Mark said: "Heritage crime is not just a financial crime where profits and insurance companies suffer the only loss.
"This is crime that erases history, threatens the viability of churches, defiles the memory of our war heroes and melts away our great art and artefacts.
"Through our work within the Heritage Crime Programme and ARCH, we have made significant progress in tackling heritage crime by working in partnership with law enforcement agencies and local communities.
"This campaign will allow us to increase community vigilance and to use preventative and enforcement measures in a way that properly reflects the value to society of the sites that have been damaged."
Hugh Beamish, Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments, said: "We are pleased to be working in partnership with Gloucestershire Police, the community and a range of partnership agencies in an effort to protect the rich and diverse range of historic buildings and archaeological sites that exist in the County."
Police, alongside English Heritage, Gloucestershire County Council, The Diocese of Gloucester and other partner agencies will gather together in the Laud Room of the Cathedral between 9.30am and 3.30pm on Thursday April 11.
By bringing stakeholders together, the event aims to help tackle growing issue of heritage crime which ranges from theft of metal from historic buildings through to the desecration of memorials and monuments.
Jon Palfrey, Gloucestershire Constabulary's Force Rural and Environmental Crime Officer, said: "We're really grateful to Gloucester Cathedral for kindly donating the use of the Lauds Room for such an important event.
"This event is an opportunity for partner agencies to all get together a help find a way of tackling the growing issue of heritage crime.
"Heritage crime affects all of us as it blights the fabric of our society. By holding this event we hope to raise awareness of this issue"
Keynote speaker is Mark Harrison, English Heritage National Policing & Crime Advisor who will be delivering a presentation on the Alliance to Reduce Crime against Heritage (ARCH), a voluntary national network aimed at galvanizing local action as part of the Heritage Crime Programme.
Mark said: "Heritage crime is not just a financial crime where profits and insurance companies suffer the only loss.
"This is crime that erases history, threatens the viability of churches, defiles the memory of our war heroes and melts away our great art and artefacts.
"Through our work within the Heritage Crime Programme and ARCH, we have made significant progress in tackling heritage crime by working in partnership with law enforcement agencies and local communities.
"This campaign will allow us to increase community vigilance and to use preventative and enforcement measures in a way that properly reflects the value to society of the sites that have been damaged."
Hugh Beamish, Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments, said: "We are pleased to be working in partnership with Gloucestershire Police, the community and a range of partnership agencies in an effort to protect the rich and diverse range of historic buildings and archaeological sites that exist in the County."
