How to Decrease Your Church Security Team’s Liability, Increase Competency, and Avoid Potential Criminal or Civil Penalties.  The Use of Force Liability Reduction Team Training DVD.

The risk of using force in a church security operation is a great source of potential liability for any church.  Recent events involving church related shootings, robberies, burglaries, and attacks have churches scrambling to place competent security in place using volunteers. There is a small chance law enforcement officers will be immediately available if your church is in sudden crisis and someone is attempting to harm people in your church building or on your church campus.

If your church security team member uses force what kind of liability can he or she face?  What can a church do to decrease its’ liability?

While the incident was occurring, these people decided to act, and disregarded their personal safety, and the safety of their future, and injected themselves into the crisis as it unfolded. What liability could each of these people face if a prosecutor or police officer deemed their actions as unreasonable?

What is at stake for someone who has taken on the challenge of protecting their church family from violence?

How can your team protect themselves from civil or criminal penalties should they see the need to use force?

In this church security team training DVD, you will discover how to best protect team members and church from potential civil liability and criminal action against them.

Face it, even police officers aren’t free from the penalties of the law if their actions are deemed unreasonable. Yet, they make mistakes everyday, and they are prosecuted for their actions, even when they were right.

It is critical your team members understand their standing before the law. How they interact with people is crucial to the success or failure of your church’s mission. The misapplication of force by an overzealous team member can substantially increase church liability, but the inaction by a team member who doesn’t understand their rights under the law can result in someone being harmed.

The 50 minute DVD is in Powerpoint presentation format and is taught by Police Use of Force Instructor Glen Evans. In the presentation Glen explains the difference between your church security team member and a police officer. Understanding the differences in roles is critical to correct applications of force in your church setting, and protects your members from civil and criminal liability.

Here is what your team will learn:

How the security role is different from law enforcement.


The penalties a police officer faces vs. a civilian when using force.


The Reasonableness Standard and how it applies to your security role.


What a police officer is allowed to do vs. what a civilian is allowed to do.


The Use of Force Continuum


How the Use of Force Continuum should be applied to the church security team.


When should a church security team use force?


The use of weapons in the church security setting and when to use them.


Whether a team member should ever restrain someone with handcuffs.


How to reduce liability in three easy steps.


What to say to a police officer after a use of force incident.


Whether you should seek the advice of an attorney.


Why documenting your training efforts is vital.

Order your copy of the Use of Force Liability Reduction DVD today, and give your team members the instruction and understanding they need to fulfill their responsibilities better.

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Many church security personnel, both volunteer and paid, may be confronted with the possibility of using force on someone who is attempting to harm a member of the church. Use of force and self defense for those who choose to provide security for church is a confusing area wrought with potential liability. The security plans your church puts in place, and the prior prep work you do, can considerably lessen church liability, as well as protect the person who is confronted and uses defensive force for self protection, or to protect the safety and life of others.

In Part 1 of this six part series, Glen Evans, Church Security Alliance co-founder discusses how to limit use of force liability and steps you can take in advance to limit potential problems in the future. In providing security for church, your people must understand what is permissible as a civilian, how their role differs from a police officer, and the steps they need to take after an incident of force.

In this first video Glen discusses how your role as a church security operative differs from law enforcement and the liabilities each faces if the use of force is deemed “unreasonable.”
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The Volunteer Church Security Team

Listen to the audio testimonial. Click the play button.

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“Your “Basics…How to get Started” manual has been a great help. I’m not sure our presentation to Pastor would have been as effective without it. My partner is impressed with it too, and is ordering his own copy, so he doesn’t have to swipe mine.”
Steve R.

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Do recent events have you concerned about your church’s security plan or lack of a plan? Have you been considering developing a church security ministry in your church, but you do not really know where to start?

When a church is confronted by the evils of child abuse, robbery, domestic violence, stalking, and church shootings, it is natural to ask many questions, but primarily, “What is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our members?”

Has your church examined it’s liability If you have not done due diligence? What is at stake if background checks are not done, a child is abused, or the unimaginable violent event happens in your church? The importance of having your church’s policy and procedures in place BEFORE an incident happens is extremely critical. Knowing who is going to handle each responsibility, how it is going to be done, and documenting exactly how it was handled is expected in our litigious society.

How does your church assess threats? How would your fellowship respond to a bomb threat? How can your security and safety team care for the member or guest with an appropriate medical response? What if a tornado occurs during a worship service? How should the team respond? Or worse, what if a church shooting occurs, do you have a plan in place?

Failing to have a plan in place can be disastrous for your church. Contingency planning, training, and documentation are essential for reducing church liability and really protecting your congregation.

Here is the information you need to start a Volunteer Church Security Ministry. Stages of team development, risk analysis, setting up a team, choosing team members, talking to church management, policies and procedures.

Topics in this guide include:

Understanding the Reason Your Church Needs a Security Team

Why Should Churches Start a Safety or Security Team?

Planning for A Safety/Security Team

Church Risk Assessment: Where will you get Hurt the Most?

What Type and Size of Security Team Does Your Church Need?

Building a Church Security Team to fit the Church Size and Needs

What Can Your Church Security Team Legally Do?

Team Selection – Who Should You Choose

Using Off Duty Police or Volunteers for Church Security?

The Importance of Criminal Background Checks

Do You Have an Emergency Church Crisis Management Plan?

Working With Local Law Enforcement

Notify the Local Law Enforcement Agency about Your Team

Use of Force Continuum’s – Introduction and Chart

Protecting the Church Offering – The Risks

Protecting the Church Offering – Procedures

Dealing with Unruly People

Seven Things Never to Say to Anyone, and Why

Bomb Threats or suspicious Packages

Evacuations

Security for the Children’s Ministry

The Church First Aid Kit

Understanding AED Basics

Another Church Shooting? Should We Arm Ourselves?

Church Security Teams and Carrying Sidearms.

Should the Entire Team be Armed?

Use of Force Policy (check local laws)

Use of Force – Physical Contact

Use of Force – Impact or Chemical Defensive Weapons

Use of Force – Deadly Force Weapons/Firearms

Four Self Defense Moves For A Close Quarter Attack

The Expanding Baton

OC Spray

The Taser

Team Response to the Active Shooter

Single Person Response To The Active Shooter

The Need for Intelligence Gathering by Church Security Teams

A Review of the Knoxville, TN Church Shooting

California Church Shooting – Critical Incident Review

Church Building Security

The Guardian Call –The Story of Church Protectors

Bomb Threat Information Sheet

Hate or Anti-Religious Groups – Menacing Person or Weapons Threat Sheet

Sample Security Team Application

Sample Incident Report Sheet

Incident Report Log

Risk Assessment Form

The Church Security Ministry is such a vital part of our church ministry. People come to hear the wonderful message of Jesus Christ…it needs to be in a safe place. The Church Security Team provides the church family the freedom to focus on ministry while they keep the environment safe and protected. It is a new day in church life and the security and safety ministry is a must!

For a limited time, anyone purchasing the CSA The Basics Of Church Security Manual will receive the CSA Member rate of only $55.99 (plus 8.00 shipping and handling).

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For a limited time, buy both the How to Start A Church Security Manual and the Easy Start Up Manual and save $20.00 The total price for both products is normally $145.98, but for a limited time you can order both products for $125.98 (plus tax, shipping and handling). Simply click on the green Add to Cart below and we will ship both information products to you by United States Postal Service. If you are just starting out, this is a great way to get going in a hurry and save a ton of time. We have done all the work for you, and this is the most comprehensive guide and start up CD available.

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Self-defense awareness simply means you agree something bad can happen to you, bad people do exist, and now you must do something to prepare yourself for it. It is in the knowing where you can begin the process of preparing yourself for the eventual meeting you or your children may have with someone who wants to hurt you.

Sure it’s not really fun to think about it, but reality is seldom fun…

There are simple things you can do to increase your personal safety, and reduce the risk to your personal safety or personal security.

Jeff Cooper was a self-defense icon. He was someone thinking about how the human body reacts under stress and the need for realistic self-defense training long before many others. He created something called Cooper’s Color Codes, and it is a great way to begin thinking about how to increase your self-defense awareness.

The first color code for self-defense awareness is…

Think about sheep when you think about color code white. Sheep don’t know how to fight, they don’t ever appear to get angry with anyone, and they often depend upon others to get them out of a jam (shepherd, farmer, sheepdog, fences).
They know they can’t hurt anyone, so they don’t even appear to try anything remotely resembling self-protection skills.
They walk around with their head in the clouds thinking life is just grand, and unfortunately for them they miss the wolves lying in wait behind the tall grass. They don’t have a clue
Color code white represents a total lack and disregard for what is going on around you…who is looking at you, and who is standing close-by waiting to pounce.

The smart man or woman doesn’t live in code white…instead they know bad people are out there and they know they have the skills to deal with them, so they live in…

Condition yellow is where warriors live. It represents men, women and children who understand bad people exist and they have taken responsibility for their own personal safety.

They don’t rely on anyone else, they have prepared themselves with realistic self-defense techniques, and they have trained with various weapons should they encounter someone who wants to hurt them.
They don’t look to get into trouble, they simply are aware of their surroundings so they are not taken by surprise.
Their head moves on a swivel, they appear confident, they make eye contact with everyone near them, and they walk with their shoulders back as to appear ready for action.

Condition yellow helps people see a problem before it becomes a problem, and they listen to their intuition to escape a situation before things get ugly. They know wolves wait on the perimeter looking for weakness, and they don’t express any hint of weakness. When they look around and see something, they then enter into…

Condition Orange

Condition orange is when you are in condition yellow and see a potential problem and completely avoid it. The key to self-defense is not necessarily in who knows the best techniques or who has the biggest weapons; it is all about avoiding a problem in the first place.

A kid walking home from school sees a threatening problem; he goes a different way home.
A woman walks out of a store and sees a man standing near her car; she waits on the sidewalk until he leaves the area.
A man sees another man looking at him in a threatening manner, and he goes somewhere else.
Self-defense awareness is not about getting into a fight, but completely the opposite. Fight back when you are attacked, but the easiest way to win a fight is to never get into the fight in the first place.

Speaking of fighting…

Condition Red

Self-defense awareness condition red is when you have been attacked and now you must understand the threat you face and respond appropriately in a matter of seconds.

The easiest way to condition red is to stay in condition white. The problem with being in condition white is that now you are three steps behind, and your brain must engage very quickly with a trained response.
Do you use your self-defense fighting skills, do you whip out some pepper spray, or is your life in jeopardy and you resort to deadly force?

Condition red is when you find yourself in the middle of a large threat to your personal safety at the hands of another human being, and you must win to escape to a safer place. It isn’t the best place to be for self-defense awareness…but the next color code is worse…

Condition Black

Condition black is when you have not prepared yourself for a violent encounter mentally or through self-defense training and now your mind is overwhelmed with stress and both your mind and body shut down to any realistic defensive response.

In essence, you become the victim through lack of planning or self defense awareness or planning on your part.
This is NOT where you want to be…so you can return to the homepage and read other articles about how to better prepare you and your family for the time when you meet the wolf.

Summary
Increase personal security and personal safety by living in Cooper color code yellow to make sure you see any threat to your safety before you find yourself in the middle of a mess and risk injury or death.

For those of you who are not aware of Verbal Judo, it provides the foundation for truly effective communication program for dealing with the public and especially people in a highly emotional state. Many police officers now have this type of training as a standard to permit them to diffuse tense situation and avoid physical confrontation when possible. Dr. George Thompson is the leading trainer of Verbal Judo. The article below is written specifically for police officers but directly applies to all of us when we get involved in a situation with an unruly person in a church situation. We are pleased to have permission to reprint two of his articles that were published in Police-One. Here is the second article.

7 things never to say to anyone, and why (Part 2)

Dr. George Thompson Verbal Judo tactics & techniques
with Dr. George Thompson
Read More…

For those of you who are not aware of Verbal Judo, it provides the foundation for truly effective communication program for dealing with the public and especially people in a highly emotional state. Many police officers now have this type of training as a standard to permit them to diffuse tense situation and avoid physical confrontation when possible. Dr. George Thompson is the leading trainer of Verbal Judo. The article below is written specifically for police officers but directly applies to all of us when we get involved in a situation with an unruly person in a church situation. We are pleased to have permission to reprint two of his articles that were published in Police-One. Here is the first article.

7 Things Never to Say to Anyone, and Why (Part 1)

Read More…

Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman is the leading thinker in matters of unexplained violence. He is the author of two excellent resources On Killing and On Combat. He is a world renowned speaker and trainer for military and law enforcement personnel who are involved in combat operations throughout the world.

In this video interview, Lt. Col Dave Grossman’s intended audience is law enforcement, but he gives a great insight into the mindset of those who would protect other people.

I had the opportunity to meet Dave at a few of the training events I have been privileged to attend. He is a Christian brother, an insightful man, and very intelligent. Enjoy the video.

Read More…

In Bradley County, Tennessee, the local sheriff has offered local congregations a training opportunity so there can be armed people in more churches. Of course, there are many opinions related to this matter that evolve more from political views, religious sentiment, and moral opinion.

Some in the church would never consider attending in a place where there are armed people in the congregation. Others carry firearms, train regularly for proficiency and are prepared to use them if someone threatens their congregation with deadly force. I am sure there are a whole lot of people somewhere in the middle. They like the idea of added protection while in church, but have a hard time wondering if Jesus or his disciples might pack heat at a gathering.

My opinion is a gun may be the only way to stop a person who is using a deadly weapon to kill innocent people. However, many incidents have been solved by people standing up and attacking the gunman and holding him down until the police arrive. Even if a weapon had been present, the initial people who are targeted are usually killed prior to a defensive reaction on the part of an armed or unarmed person.

I guess my biggest issue is the training aspect of carrying a weapon. It is one thing for Deacon Bill to own a handgun for 35 years vs. knowing how to effectively use the handgun in a combat environment. It is strange to consider the church becoming a combat environment, but then again it is weird to believe a combat environment can exist in an Amish community, local schools, large universities, and the post office too.

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, author of On Combat and On Killing, two awesome scholarly works on the how human being react to violence, is convinced we are living in the most violent times in human history, and the only reason the homicide rate isn’t higher is because life saving technology has improved over the past thirty years. I am with him.

Given the fact that our Christian brothers and sisters are being beaten, shot, and attacked on a regular basis in predominantly Islamic and Communist countries, we should not be surprised that Christians are being assaulted in their places of worship here in America.

Like a Pandora’s box, I believe the concept of church violence has been cracked open, and there will be more attacks upon churches. Much like Columbine, once a horrific, violent act has occurred in a place where a violent attack was once taboo, it seems like evil people are given permission to act upon their perverse view of the world.

Is it surprising the world is becoming more violent? Jesus told us it would happen. What should our response be? Should we defend ourselves or should we allow ourselves to be martyred for the cause of Christ?

See article from Tennessee Paper

Tell us what you think…leave a comment below.

This CD Will Save Your Precious Hours and Get Your Church Security Policy Manual Completed in Minutes!

I received your kit a couple weeks ago. OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!  Without going into too many details, I will just tell you that it saved me weeks of work. You thought of things that I never would have considered and put it all at my finger tips.
Thanks for your guidance and support.

Troy C.

The Church Security Fast Startup Kit Has A Ready Made Manual and Printed Forms to Help Guide You to a Successful Ministry and Lower Your Church’s Liability.

Time is so important, so why spend it writing a new policy and procedure manual? You can spend time researching, planning, and wondering if your plans will succeed…but why do that when we have already done the work for you?

You don’t want to spend time reinventing the wheel.

The importance of having your church’s policy and procedures in place BEFORE an incident happens is too critical. Knowing who is going to handle each responsibility, how it is going to be done, and documenting exactly how it was handled is expected in our litigious society.

How does your church assess threats? How would your fellowship respond to a bomb threat? How can your security and safety team care for the body with an appropriate medical response? What if a tornado occurs during a worship service? How should the team respond? Or worse, what if a church shooting occurs, do you have a plan in place?

Failing to have a plan in place can be disastrous for your church. Contingency planning, training, and documentation are essential for reducing church liability and really protecting your congregation.

That is why the Church Security Alliance created the start up kit. The CD-ROM contains sixteen practical forms, presentations, and documents your church needs to do the job right.

Simply place the CD in your computer’s disc drive, navigate to the form, manual or presentation you need, PLACE YOUR CHURCH LOGO or NAME in the appropriate place, and you have an instant document.

Recognizing each church has specific concerns, you simply adjust the policies and procedures to meet your specific needs, desires, and state laws – saving precious time and energy (less time in meetings and more time with your family).

Here is what you get when you purchase the start up CD:

• Security Team Manual V2.2
• Team Startup Presentation
• Church Management Presentation
• Security Team Planning and Setup
• Safety and Security Team Ministry Volunteer Request
• How to Interview Prospect Team Candidates
• Church Risk Assessment
• Building Security Review Sheet
• Security Team Application
• Sample Medical Response Plan
• Incident Report Log
• Medical Team Incident Report
• Bomb Threat Information Sheet
• Bomb Threat or Suspicious Package Procedure
• CCW in Church
• Use of Force Chart

When you purchase CSA’s start up kit, you have full access and permission to change the documents for your church and team members.

Purchase Your Easy Church Security Manual Here.

For a limited time, anyone purchasing the CSA Church Security Start Up CD will receive the CSA Member rate of only $89.99.

When you order, we will immediately ship one CD containing 16 different church security and church safety ministry manuals, forms, and procedures that you can easily make your own. Simply place the CD into your drive, open up the files and place your church’s name or logo in the proper locations and begin training your team in the policies and procedures found on the CD or use the forms and manual as a sample for your own church security policy and procedures.

Click on the Add to Cart button below and you will be taken to an order page where you can order the CD-ROM through Paypal. You do not need a Paypal account to order this product. You may pay with Mastercard, Visa, or Discover. Easily follow the directions on the order page, securely submit your order, and we will send you your CD. Shipping and handling of $6 will be included, as well as a 7% Ohio sales tax. You will receive a receipt via email.

Buy The Basics Guide and Easy Start Up CD and Save $10.00!

For a limited time, buy both the How to Start A Church Security Manual and the Easy Start Up Manual and save $10.00 The total price for both products is normally $135.98, but for a limited time you can order both products for $125.98 (plus tax, shipping and handling). Simply click on the Add to Cart and we will ship both information products to you by United States Postal Service. If you are just starting out, this is a great way to get going in a hurry and save a ton of time. We have done all the work for you, and this is the most comprehensive guide and start up CD available.

Order the combination pack and save $10.00

Don’t Want to Order Online? Print and Send Order Form.

Click Here to Download Form

Churches are often “soft targets.” Many churches were built in an era when trust for people was taken for granted, so alarms and surveillance technology are not in use. After all, who wants to go to church if it feels like Fort Knox? The key to a good church security program is that the congregation doesn’t even know you have a church security team. No – not secret squirrels running around and talking into their blazer sleeves – but very helpful, friendly people who just happen to know how to spot trouble.

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