The ability of investigative agencies like Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to effectively recover stolen works of art depends in part on how comprehensive and complete their databases of stolen works are. The scope of these databases and their effectiveness in recovering artwork depends on how many reports of theft are submitted by museums to the investigative agencies. This paper considers how a lack of funding leads to discrepancies in and between museum collection records and databases maintained by investigative agencies, resulting in negative publicity and affect a museum's public image. Ultimately this paper presents some strategies to mitigate these discrepancies and help deter future museum theft by streamlining the investigation process for agencies like Interpol and the FBI.
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