The Physical Building Security Plan needs to provide todays churches and faith based facilities with the ability to put as many layers of protection between them and the defined risks to the church, members and visitors. Todays’ criminal will take advantage of the traditional church that is open for prayer and worship at all times. Churches may be surrounded by low walls, trees or hedges, which assists the thief in avoiding detection. Criminals have decided that the church, with their computers, music systems, AV systems, and money are a soft target that provides “low risk” high value opportunity.

What ever you do, DO NOT adopt the attitude “it will never happen to us.”

The process of evaluating the current position of your church is critical to understanding what you need to do to reduce the risks and liability of your church. Many of these recommendation can be quickly and economically implemented. In this article we will look at the items that have the largest risk and assist in deciding which areas to address first.

The Exterior Plan

Landscaping

• Foliage can be too close to windows and doors.
• It should be trimmed back to eliminate hiding places for burglars or thieves.

Roofs

• Places of worship are sometimes irregular in shape and design. Access to the roof may be relatively easy due to water drain pipes or layered roof lines.
• Some churches have left ladders outside the facility that can and have been used to break into the facility.

Storage buildings

• Many places of worship have a storage building with tools and machinery.
• Such a building may contain ladders or power tools that can be used to enter the main facility.
• Storage buildings should be well secured.

Lighting

The use of effective security lighting is very important, particularly for the parking lots and the exterior of the building for the following reasons:

• Illuminate external areas of buildings to eliminate places of darkness to conceal thieves or attackers.
• To reveal an intruder in an any area between a building and an observer’s position.
• To enhance the aesthetic appearance of the building.

Parking Lots

The church parking lot has one of the highest risk levels to the church and it’s members.

• The parking areas must be well marked to maintain an orderly manor of parking cars.
• The lighting of this area after dark must be properly illuminated to eliminate areas of darkness that can hide attackers that might wish to rob, attach or kidnap a victim.
• Additionally, the landscaping must not present areas for any attacker to hide and wait for their victim.

External doors

All doors should be substantially made with strong hinges and effective frames.

• The strength of a door is only as good as it’s frames and hinges. Again, good maintenance not only improves physical security but also acts as a deterrent.
• Many old locks are inadequate with relatively simple internal mechanisms, which will not defeat the professional criminal.
• During service, keep the main entry door unlocked to permit the entry and exit of members and guests. Out of the way or rear doors should be locked if possible so that the greeters can be assured of meeting all who are entering the facility. They should immediately report any unusual visitors to the security team,

Building Security Alarms

Security alarm systems are often dismissed as being too expensive, too much trouble and inappropriate for use in a church. It is strongly suggested that you complete a through risk assessment to assist in deciding if this option is appropriate for your church. Some items to considered include:

• The presence of an alarm system is very often sufficient to deter a criminal before he starts.
• An alarm system substantially reduces the theft time available to the criminal due to rapid police response.
• A good quality alarm system is surprisingly cheap and very cost-effective.
• Systems can be designed to fit the individual needs for your facility.

Alarm systems have various means of activation, from making/breaking electronic circuits on doors and windows, to sophisticated but surprisingly inexpensive movement detectors. Alarm systems can sometimes entitle you to a reduction in insurance premiums.

The interior security

Ideally the church should be locked at all times unless staff members are present. A notice can be displayed indicating from whom to call for admission outside of normal hours.In addition there are some other measures to consider including:

Protective measures include:

• Locking your church at night.
• Small valuable items should be stored away in a locked cabinet or safe when not in use.
• Expensive altar ware should be stored away in a locked cabinet or safe when not in use.
• During the services, areas of the facility that are off limits should be locked.
• Valuables should be kept in a safe or a strong room when not being used for a service.
• Video cameras, monitors and computers should be stored in secure areas.
• The church should be secured by high quality locks.
• Keys should be kept by a responsible person or in a secure place away from the church. Key control is very important!
• All property should be photographed and a log kept. This needs to be stored in a safe place away from the church. All photographs must have a ruler in the picture to indicate size.
• The offering box, if used, should ideally be emptied daily. A notice should be displayed on the box indicating this.
• Vulnerable stained glass windows can be protected externally by Lexan sheet.
• Be vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police at the time.
• CCTV cameras can monitor unseen areas of the facility as well as the approach to the offices. A monitor can be placed with the receptionist for her review during the day.
• The CCTV system can also digitally record any activities and be downloaded for use by the police.

Although the number of church crimes is relatively low in comparison to other crimes, the effect on the church community is very devastating when their peace of mind is destroyed.

Check with your insurance company to understand their requirements that permit your church to be adequately covered. The implementation of many of the above items may also reduce your cost of insurance.