All Churches and Places of Worship Need Security

When you think of the buildings and organizations in our society that need the most security to protect their operations, you likely think of places that hold significant financial or political importance. Perhaps you imagine a top secret government facility, the White House, a federal agency building, banks or a politician’s office. While these locations are justly secure, religious centers are quickly growing into a target for people with ill intent to make a statement or take advantage of a given religion’s generosity and open-door policy. Tragic as it is, it may be time for places of worship to batten down the hatches to ensure the safety of their congregations.

In recent years, we’ve seen an unfortunate increase of mass shootings, assaults, thefts and destruction of property cases targeting places of worship.

It doesn’t take much time or money to improve security for your church’s members. Although many places of worship open their doors to anyone, the locks they have on their doors can protect the center or facility when no one is there. The simplest step one can take toward a safer religious community is to install high security locks on all the doors and windows. Too often, arsonists, thieves and vandals take advantage of an unlocked door or a door with a weak latch to enter the premises. If your church or place of worship already has high security locks, ensure any rekeying or digital control updates are done regularly to keep keys out of the wrong hands.

Many places of worship find it hard to even entertain the thought that they could be targeted with such vicious malignancy in their own halls, sanctuaries and offices. Although plenty of religious leaders are hesitant to spend what little money they have on security measures, it may prove life-saving for your congregants.