Los Angeles Police Department Art Theft Detail

The Art Theft Detail of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is the primary office of investigation anytime fine art is the principal object of a theft or burglary. Beyond the unauthorized or illegal removal of a work of fine art from its owner or care taker, the Art Theft Detail also investigates matters of forgery, fraud, and fakes.

Detectives assigned to the Art Theft Detail maintain citywide jurisdiction in criminal matters involving art. It is interesting to note that the Art Theft Detail of the Los Angeles Police Department is the only local law enforcement unit in the entire country that is dedicated to the full time investigation of art related crimes. The Art Theft Detail is currently only staffed by two detectives, but the work of the unit has led to the recovery of almost $80 million worth of stolen art since 1993.

Crimes against priceless art involves multiple players, including artists, specialized art dealers and various collectors. It is the responsibility of the Art Theft Detail works in close contact with the world of fine art in Los Angeles by providing information in relating to stolen works of art to places that deal in such commodities, including museums and auction houses. The unit also maintains contact with other local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies when investigating art crimes.

Art theft is different from the theft of other private property. Unlike other forms of theft and burglary, when a work of art is stolen, it continues to appreciate in value. When a television or even a car is stolen, the merchandise is almost never returned with the same value, if the item is returned at all. After a certain amount of time, if that property is never recovered, it is determined at some point to become obsolete. Not too many people are going to want a computer or a car a year or two after it has been stolen. Most times those items are easily replaced and forgotten by the victim.

Art, on the other hand, never truly depreciates. This means that most cases of the LAPD Art Theft Detail that continue to remain unsolved are still actively pursued by the Art Theft Detail. The detail does not usually close a case until a work of art is recovered or at least found. While it is not usual that an art thief would allow a stolen work of art to become damaged (which may result in the complete loss of any resale value), it is possible. The recovery of such items is also important to the historical and cultural significance of our nation.

Examples of art recovered by the Art Theft Detail include:

The recovery of a full size portrait of Lana Turner stolen from the actress's home in the 1940s that turned up in the possession of a woman who purchased the portrait 25 years later.

The recovery of two rare Navajo blankets stolen from a museum that surfaced 28 years later in an exhibition in St. Louis.

The recovery of 10 pre-Columbian and African pieces of art that were found after one item of the collection was almost auctioned off by the famous Sotheby's auction house in New York.

The recovery of original Monet and Picasso oil paintings valued at over $13 million stolen from a residence. The paintings were found locked in a storage unit in Cleveland.

The recovery of artwork by an independent artist that was stolen from a van it was loaded into after an art exhibit. The art was found at a Pasadena swap meet.

What happens to a work of art when it is stolen is largely unknown, but one of two things usually happens. If the art is recovered at all, it is either found stashed away in a private collection or somehow reintroduced back into the traditional world of art dealers and auction houses.