7 Steps to Secure your Church without Overwhelm and Stress
In recent years it cannot be denied that our once safe American churches are seeing an increase of risk. Crimes such as embezzlements, assaults, thefts, and shootings are becoming commonplace in our once sacred spaces. With so much to do in security to keep our open-door churches safe, leaders across the country are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, perhaps you can relate?
In around 2016 I found that my traditional methods of consultative advice were not working. When I walked away leaders were left asking what is next. It was here that I discovered a new way. A seven step process teaching leaders just what to do and when to do it (which later became my book Securing Church Operations) Here are the seven steps I recommend keeping your church open but stay safe and secure!
Step 1 - Create A Strong Security Culture
Canvas the views of your church, pastors, vestry, sexton, vergers, priests, and executive team to name a few. Find out their views on safety and security to identify the leaderships culture around security
Now that you have the views of church leadership, identify where it is you want to be. This could be having a proactive culture around reporting suspicious activity or creating a safe space where staff and volunteers feel empowered to bring forward risk so that it can be assessed before it may cause your community harm.
Create a “mission statement” focused on the future state culture. This can reflect the attitudes of your church on security which will build authority and identify the standard.
Step 2 - Create A Threat Assessment Team
Running security for a busy ministry can be a full-time job but most often caried out by a volunteer or part time by a staff member. You cannot be successful without interdepartmental buy in, this is not a single person job!
Find some likeminded individuals from different church ministry departments who understand risk, teams such as children’s ministry, treasurers and outreach leaders most often understand their risk well.
Create a formal committee who will mee to discuss threats and emerging risks. Their role is to not do all the work but help the church categorize risk and determine the level of the response to mitigate or manage the risk becoming harmful
Step 3 - Protect Your Perimeter
We are two steps in and haven't touched on physical security. At this stage we want you to walk, not run. As a rule, protection of your perimeter is physical security 101
Use what you have in place to keep people safe. Educate all staff and volunteers on the importance of shutting all doors and windows. Walk your building, checking doors locks and windows. Do you have the appropriate hardware so that all doors can be locked?
On Sundays use good “hospitality” to protect your perimeter. Have all staff and volunteer greet new people with a smile, welcome them to the church and at the same time look for adverse human behaviors that might indicator risk. This method is simple, highly effective and doesn't cost anything!
Lastly consider what “church open door means for you” You may have 10 entrances to your church, but do you need them all open which can mean people can enter your building without being greeted and you do not know who is on site.
Step 4 - Conduct A Security Risk Assessment
A security risk assessment could be the first step in your security journey, but I place it at step four because you can achieve steps one through three without any budget or specific skill.
The assessment is vital to your success in identifying all your vulnerabilities and then providing solutions. Consider this your road map or project plan for the next 2-5 years
You can do it yourself, but I would recommend a professional like my organization. You’re really paying for the decades of experience and knowledge on how to best mitigate your risk. My experience has also told me that a security consultant commands more authority when presenting the findings to a church board.
Here’s a big benefit of having a professional assessment. Since 2005 the Federal Emergency Management Agency commonly called FEMA has issued over 700 million dollars through the non-profit security grant program (NSGP) to allow non-profits to apply for $150,000 per location to enhance security!
Step 5 - Create A Build Emergency Operations Plan
Identify what natural disasters, human caused disasters and technology hazards could occur at your church, wrote policies and procedures as to what people should then do.
Share your Buildings Operation Plan (BOP) with internal departments and your city emergency managers
Equally as important as writing the procedures, is checking they work and make sense! Conduct regular tabletops and drills to ensure they work Consider professional help in writing your building emergency operations plan, having the right plan is crucial to how your respond in an emergency
Step 6 - Conduct Security Training
Let’s start with who should be trained? Those in critical positions who come into regular contact with risk, people who work with children, youth workers, ushers, greeters, volunteers, facilities, and maintenance workers
Educate teams on threat detection and on human behaviors that may indicate violence. Encourage your community, “If you see something, say something” don’t forget the most likely! Train on basic first aid and stop the bleed
Step 7 – Implement A Safety Team
Find the right person to lead the team, most often security is good old fashioned customer service with a willingness to take action
Never just take people because they volunteer. These roles have a great depth of responsibility and liability for your church. When starting out you choose who goes on the team!
Don’t be afraid to interview prospective team members, It's important that they align with your church culture and vision for the team
For any new team setting expectations as to what they can and cannot do is critical to success, make sure your program is well documented
Simon Osamoh is a British American and founder of Kingswood Security Consulting. He spent 14 years as a Detective in England working serious and organized crime. He moved to the United States to Head Counter Terrorism at Mall of America, Minnesota. Simon is a Christian and has spent over a decade helping non-profits stay safe and secure. Simon is the author of three books, Securing Church Operations, Church Safety Responding to Suspicious Behavior and 10 Powerful Strategies for Verbal De-Escalation. He is the host of the Church Security Talk Podcast.