Government and Institutional Services

Specialist support for legally directed cultural-property operations.

Support is structured for courts, counsel, government agencies, law enforcement, customs, museums, universities, tribal and national authorities, and designated custodians.

Who the service model supports

Services are engaged by authorized parties and defined by documented scope, jurisdiction, and custodial destination.

Courts and counsel

Evidence review, preservation planning, neutral coordination, and court-directed support.

Law enforcement and customs

Specialist object identification, safe handling, transport, documentation, and case support.

Museums and universities

Collection review, emergency preservation, provenance triage, and controlled transfers.

Cultural and sovereign authorities

Consultation, claimant coordination, receiving protocols, and repatriation support.

Authority, scope, and custody are resolved before deployment.

A written engagement defines the legal authority, participants, information controls, destination, permitted actions, and recordkeeping obligations.

No assignment proceeds on informal assurances alone. The case file must identify the controlling authority and intended custodian.

The institution authorizing the action remains responsible for its legal mandate; Ben Franklin PSF supports execution within that mandate.