"Uniqueness" of Church Security

[yoni]

You all think church security is a pain in the rear to get in place, try synagogue security.

[Paul Howe]

Churches have always been a soft target and a magnet for problems. Mental, emotional, drugs, etc. Churches always want to keep all their doors open which creates problems with unhindered/unchecked entry points. Times have changed and the Texas church was unprepared. The pastor was unprepared. The members of the church were unprepared. They relied on luck that day and it was not with them.

First, a CHL holder is no more prepared to use a gun than someone who goes into a music store and buys an instrument. They must practice with it. It might make them personally feel good that they own it, but unless they seek further training, they are dangerous with a weapon.

Next, churches do not want to invest in their own security. I have trained staffs from mega-churches and they understand the need to have security with thousands attending each worship day. They practice and are ready to deal with many problems that can arise.

Combat mindset is totally opposite to the thought process of most church staffs. Most would rather go fetal and take a bullet than to take a life to save a life. Life is about choices and consequences.

Church security is much like school security and Guardian programs. It should be layered, it should include medical and it should include safe link-ups with police.

Too many untrained bubbas with guns can cause a train wreck during an evolving problem or active situation. Churches need to invest is a few inexpensive radios to tie their security team together. Also, the security team needs to practice when the church is empty to work out their security plans and responses.

Finally, knowledge is power in preventing problems. If someone in the church is having serious emotional/drug or mental issues, the security staff needs to be quietly notified and on the alert until that person seeks treatment and is responding in a positive manner.

It does take time, money and the proper training to do. If someone teaches school security, they could teach church. It is a fixed target and the team is there to protect the flock in terms of the church and kids in the terms of the school.

If you go to church, ask the church leader if they have a plan. If they do not, you have a plan and try to encourage one. Don't let the egos with guns and know it all's drive your plan. Find someone who has a cool head and experience. Everyone wants to be the church security leader, but few are qualified.

Paul

[aclawrence]

I agree I would be terrified to be around some of the people that are surely carrying guns out there that haven’t shot in who knows how long lol. I hope I never have to fire my gun in church with so many people around. One situation churches deal with will be some kind of child custody type of stuff where a parent who is not supposed to have the child is trying to remove the child from the nursery. Homeless people you have to watch because they always come in with a backpack. Got to have a plan for that. Most common stuff is a kind accuses another kid of something. We had this happen just the other day, went and check the security cameras and saw what really happened. We have also have a ldy trip and fall and have to go to the ER stuff like that.


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Also how to remove someone sitting right in the middle of the pew who stands up and starts shouting obscenities.


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[ST911]

There is a lot of cross-over between church security methods and other infrastructure, institutional, force protection, and EP designs. The disconnect is that none of those other institutions have scriptures and their tenets, which many misapply when considering safety measures. If your church body is part of bigger, corporate church (major denominations, regional/state synods and conferences, etc) you have additional hurdles and potential regulation to consider. For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has taken official positions, from its highest offices and largest synods, in favor of assorted gun control measures. The downstream effect in their churches is considerable.

Learning to speak the language and address barriers that arise specific to the church context is critical for support of clergy, lay leadership, and membership. Here are a couple of places that do it particularly well, and provide a lengthy list of resources.

Training: https://intruderresponse.com/courses...ining-courses/ (Several classes scheduled in the next 60 days in SD, TX, MO, OH)
Insurance/Risk Management: https://www.brotherhoodmutual.com/

Start simply, and build the program as the barriers fall and the membership buys-in.

[Paul Howe]

This is a good dialogue.

Yes, once they buy in, use of force issues arise with various situation churches will encounter. With each state and local venue, you will have to get with local LE and the DA to see what they will allow you to do.

Can you legally detain a mentally unstable person screaming?

If not, can you move the congregation away and take a break until law enforcement arrives? These are the legal questions that law enforcement have to answer and you have to plan for. Do your gun carries put hands on someone and are they trained in weapon retention?

Do you have larger members who are not carrying restrain that person or move them away from the main body of attendees?

How many times to do you have to tell a person to leave the premises before it becomes a criminal trespass? Can you eject them with reasonable force?

Education, planning and training is the key. There is blood on the floor from many previous church incidents. We know the answers to the test. Do churches wish to step up to protect their people or play the odds that it will not happen in their church?

Thanks for the positive comments.

Paul

[VARIABLE9]

I thought you were asking what made CS unique, that’s why I offered the points I listed.
As others have stated it’s not much different than other AS or public safety considerations.
Have key members of church practice a ‘fire drill’, and ensure there are people who understand Run Hide Fight e.g. ushers or elders or daycare staffers.
Partner with your local police department and ask them to walk through your facility and look at existing security measures. Or the state police. See if your county is part of a state wide anti terrorism task force, or conducts mass casualty planning. Let them use your facility for a drill. Contact the FBI or FEMA for any literature or media based training resources.
Also situational awareness and behavioral observation training could be a minimally invasive measure for identifying a wide variety of problems. Here is a program that may still offer training, not certain.

http://www.nerac.us/behavioral-obser...-announcement/

Behavioral Observation and Suspicious Activity Recognition (BOSAR) Training Announcement
Posted by Tim Moore on May 18, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments
NERAC is pleased to be offering three Behavioral Observation and Suspicious Activity Recognition (BOSAR) training courses this spring.

This two-day program was designed by the New York City Police Department and will be taught by the Massachusetts State Police on May 28-29, June 3-4, and June 10-11, 2015 at Logan Airport. Attendees will learn to observe and identify anomalies in their surrounding environment that may be indicative of terrorist activities, and to conduct field interviews using modern techniques including body language, gestures, and facial expressions to assist in identifying whether individuals are lying or being truthful. Though the training was designed by law enforcement, the intended audience is anyone in the public safety community who regularly interacts with the public, including hospital security staff.



This will is an excellent training opportunity for anyone who has events coming up this summer, such as parades, 4th of July celebrations, road races, or other public gatherings.

[SeriousStudent]

MSG Howe, thank you for your thoughts. Your insights are always appreciated.

And I'll see you next year in Nacogdoches.

[The_War_Wagon]

You all think church security is a pain in the rear to get in place, try synagogue security.

REALLY?! They seem to be MORE on top of it here in Pittsburgh, than the churches are!

https://jfedpgh.org/security-events - hope that helps your cause where you are. They hired a former FBI official to design security for the Synagogues here in Pittsburgh!


And a new tidbit from Survivalblog - where I've been waiting to see what kind of response folks might post. https://survivalblog.com/texas-churc...as/#more-50047

[echo5whiskey]

For clarification, I am completely on board with training--good, solid, established training methods and mindset. Variable9, you are correct in stating the purpose of this thread. I meant it to learn what sets church security apart. I believe that has been established.

Here are my main takeaways regarding "uniqueness":

1. My church is not part of a corporate denomination. ST1911, thank you for that; that was something that had not even crossed my mind, and hasn't come up in my other conversations. It seems that in those situations and with larger congregations, the main issue is a communication barrier. Whether it's a denominational leader, archbishop, senior pastor, etc.; it seems that guns in church may still be somewhat taboo. I guess that main goal is to communicate the necessity of safeguarding the flock from the physical "wolves," so to speak.

2. As SS and Mr Howe pointed out, the other unique situation is the legality of a member 1) carrying a firearm, 2) as an "official" volunteer, 3) and what his/her boundaries are regarding use of force. To contrast this with a business setting, for instance, they will hire an actual guard who most likely will have to be licensed to carry out his/her job description. I guess it's as much of a contrast, as it is point that is most likely not given much thought.


Once you get past those, it seems to me that the standard measures for security would still apply; hardened physical security, access control, surveillance, command and control, written and practiced plans, and--most importantly--training.

Have I missed anything?

Variable, that's also an outstanding idea on using the church for a mass-cas drill.

[opngrnd]

I've been down this road before. IMHO:
Step 1 is personal proficiency, as it always is. Get individual training.
Step 2 is leadership. This has been pointed out already. Have a plan everyone understands that is endorsed by the leadership.
Step 3 is the legal aspect. What is legal, and how much responsibility are you willing to assume? This varies much from state to state, and from individual to individual.

^Just my .02 cents, which mirrors what you've already heard. I'd just like to doubly stress Step 1. All the endorsement, legal authority, and righteousness in the world may be of little help if the responsible individual (you) are not prepared.