Acts of violence, at places of worhsip are not limited to the USA - but are becoming more frequently reported on even in South Africa
The last thing you want to be concerned about in a place of sanctuary is that of being robbed or even worse.
With some churches resorting to having armed security present at services - what is the appropriate response.
From a religious perspective, the issue is a sensitive one - given many religious views regarding violence, turning the other cheek, use of guns, etc, Personally I am of the view that christian disciples carried swords strapped to their waists for protection, the city of Jerusalem had armed guards at it's walls and gates, and provision was made for protection of those who killed in Self Defence - but others would mention scriptures advocating turning those swords to ploughshares - so it is a sensitive issue.
The starting point is naturally for all church leaders to acknowledge the growing risk of violent church attacks, and to prepare for these - this is the basic level of care parishioners can expect. Don't be misled, stay awake - in the US the number of deaths related to church violence is almost as high as that for school violence. Additionally, we have local reports of vehicle thefts from places of worship and robbery at these events.
The density and number of vulnerable victims is what makes an in-service worship event attractive to criminals - the very gathering together, as commanded by scripture - is what creates criminal oppurtunity.
A crucial point in this preperation is to acknowledge that these types of incidents, ordinarily only last a few minutes and are usually over by the time a security or police response arrives - leaving two basic alternatives (1) Making it difficult for criminals to get access to in-service worship events, delaying that access and getting early warning of any attempt to gain access and (2) Dealing with - potentially confronting the intruders, perhaps with force, during the event.
Given the churches mandate of being accessible to all - effective access control can present a challenge but the core principle of a layered security response apply
The Outer Perimeter
Security starts at the facilities outer perimeter and is based on the four D principle - Deter, Detect, Delay and Deny. The perimeter is usually protected by a fence or wall mechanism coupled with a detection method. Electric fences may work - but in the face of sophisticated criminals, prepared to take on a hall full of victims, do not have quite the same deterrent effect that might apply to an oppurtunistic criminal.We need a physical structure at the perimeter that will make it difficult for criminals to get through or over the structure, consolidate this with a detection system that will alert occupants to a breach of the perimeter and then apply video surveillance of the perimeter, which is monitored either by onsite delegates or an offsite security center - during worship activities as a minimum. In South Africa, the presence of monkeys are one instance of nuisance alarms, and video surveillance provides an immediate means of identifying whether a breech alarm is positive or not. The ability to assess and monitor an intrusion is essential to the security objective. Gates can also be fitted with devices that will detect a forced opening of the gate.
Delaying tactics can be introduced by the deployment of additional barriers like barbed wire, and deterrence can be enhanced using signs, visual warning lights and sirens.
Perimeter protection needs to be enhanced by procedures and protocols detailing the monitoring of surveillance cameras, operation and status of gates and specific training in response protocols, in the event of detected intrusions.
The church mandate of being accessible to all, creates a vulnerability that allows potential criminals to bypass all Outer Perimeter security measures. This calls for church leaders to have specific assignments aimed at identifying and accounting for all who attend a service, and paying particular attention to individuals who are not known or regurlar attendees, particurlarly if comprising of a group, or even an unusual number of individuals arriving on a giving day . Church leaders need to get to know their congregants , to the degree that newcomers or casual attendees can be identified early on.
Building Entrance
For many churches the next two layers Building Entrance and Interior Doors are often one and the same thing.At this level the main issue is access control, and again the four D's apply Deter, Detect, Delay and Deny. Due to the church agenda of inclusivity, most church bodies are hesitant to consider the deployment of access control systems at the doors.
Access Control systems nicely accomodate access to the facility outside of service times. The administrator can create role based authorizations ensuring that access to the facility and areas of the facility is only accessible to properly authorized persons. The need for multiple sets of keys is eliminated, and a record is generated of all access events to the premises and areas of the premises.
How though can churches address the issue of access control during a service or meeting? Safety regulations often require free egress from the facility in the event of an emergency, and most churches do not wish to have the doors locked or closed during a service, or to exclude unknown individuals who may feel drawn to the service. For some facilities it is their practice to keep the facility open at all hours.
The most powerful strategy in meeting these circumstances is for Church Leaders and congregants to know one another well - organization of particular aspects of service into smaller groups , overseen by a responsible church member will contribute to these members being able to account for members of their group at a larger service meeting. If all the regurlar and known members, along with ones who might accompany them, are accounted for at each meeting, it is far easier to identify other persons in attendance.
Congregants need to be made aware of the need to be alert and to take note of any newcomers. They also need to how to report anything which appears suspicious.
Designate only a single door for entrance. All other doors should be locked from the outside. Access control systems allow for the release of doors during an emergency. Strong effective , access controlled locks should be fitted to all the doors, with an emergency override mechanism (As simple as a release button) in place on the inside.
The initial outer perimeter video surveillance system now needs to expand to the inner perimeter (Parking areas, gardens, entrances) and the building interiors. Surveillance systems can integrate with Access Control Systems and Alarm Systems in some designs. Video surveillance systems allow designated members to oversee the entire facility through-out the proceedings, and commands , to effect release of doors, activate panic alerts or notifications to police or security response can be issued right from the surveillance or alarm systems common dashboard.
Plans, Systems and Procedures
While it is critical that the church security system utilizes physical technology, without plans, training , Systems and Procedures - the deployed technology quickly becomes ineffective.On this note - all too often, someone in the congregation may be involved with security and may donate some obsolete equipment, or excess stocks to the church. This should not be seen as an effective solution - congregants have an expectation of safety and security , and church leaders should not skimp on the measures taken to meet that expectation - but rather deploy equipment which is required to meet the specific risk profile of the church.
(1) The first step is for the church body or leadership to conduct a risk assessment. This process involves identifying all the reasonably expected types of events or emergencies that might occurr at the facility . e.g. - active shooter events, robberies, medical emergencies and fire
(2) The risk assessment is followed up with a written plan for each emergency - the plan should include all the aspects of Deter, Detect, Delay, Deny, and now additionaly a response to the emergency.
(3) Now that the body has identified what they would ideally like to do we start to compile action plans and do gap assessments, with the objective of identifying what technical specification or function is required from technology hardware, and what training , procedures, checks and balances now need to be implimented in order to deploy the Security Plan for the Institution.
The church leadership is now ready to source and deploy the necessary technology systems and impliment their action plans to ensure the safety of their congregants
This article was composed by Brandon Joubert of Gensix Technology Pty Ltd Visit our site or email us at service@gensixtech.co.za for assistance with any aspect of this content. Brandon has 20 years experience in emergency response, Risk Assessments, Emergency Planning and has been deploying Security Systems for the past 15 Years.
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