Keeping Religious Institutions Secure

Jennie-Leigh McLamb

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9780128013465
• eBook ISBN: 9780128014882
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Comparative Religion
• Index: Social Sciences

Keeping Religious Institutions Secure explores the unique vulnerabilities that churches, synagogues, and mosques face in regards to security, making them attractive to criminals who see them as easy targets.The text illustrates why all places of worship should think about security and the types of breaches that can drive people away. The book focuses on the most frequent security concerns experienced by houses of worship, including embezzlement, vandalism, assault, hate crime, and in rare cases, an active shooter—and how to help prevent them from occurring.Beginning with an overview of the basic security concepts and principles that can enhance the security of any religious facility, it then delves deeply into the particular security concerns of houses of worship, including the use of volunteers, protecting religious leaders, ensuring safety for children and teens, interacting with local law enforcement, handling the media, and much more.- Covers security best practices that are adaptable to any type of religious institution.- Addresses the key security measures—physical, electronic, environmental, and procedural—for protecting people and facilities.- Includes guidance on identifying threats and vulnerabilities and instituting countermeasures for deterring crime and violence.

1

Introduction

Abstract

This chapter includes information on why religious institutions are seen as an easy target. It lists various security incidents in the United States and around the world to illustrate the multitude of crimes that can occur at a religious institution—whether it is a mosque, church, temple, or synagogue.

Keywords

Crime incidents; Religious violence; Safety; Security; Terminology

Religious institutions—whether they are a temple, mosque, synagogue, church, or other structure—are considered by their attendees to be a sanctuary that provides a safe refuge from the troubles of the outside world. They are a place to worship, sing, praise, contemplate, and enjoy fellowship with other believers. They are welcoming places that provide guidance, healing, support, and comfort in times of need. As a result, most attendees see them as sacred places. Unfortunately, criminals see them as an easy, target-rich environment.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr does not separate religious institutions from other businesses, making precise numbers difficult to ascertain.¹ However, it is known that religious institutions are often victimized more than once and usually within a short period of time.² In one instance, a church had their sound equipment stolen. A few weeks after replacing the equipment, the place was hit again, and the new sound equipment was stolen.³

Incidents in the United States

A brief listing of crimes in religious institutions shows the scope of the problem.

• March 2005: A gunman killed eight people including himself at a church meeting—of which he was a member—in a Sheraton Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.⁴

• August 2012: A gunman killed six people and wounded four at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.⁵

• July 2008: A 58-year-old man entered a Unitarian Universalist Church and opened fire. Nine people were shot, and two were killed. Police arrived within 3 min, but three members had already subdued the shooter.⁶

• February 2010: Three gunmen opened fire during a service at New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ in California, wounding two people.⁷

• A nun was strangled in a church garden.⁸

• A pastor was shot in his front yard for counseling the abused wife of a violent husband.⁹

• An emotionally disturbed man took a congregation hostage and held them in a confrontation with police.¹⁰

• A deranged man drove his truck through the church doors during services.¹¹

• A woman, who was praying, was assaulted, robbed, and raped in the sanctuary.¹²

There are several sources of information on religious violence that can be found on the internet. Carl Chinn also tracks deadly force incidents in religious institutions on his Website www.carlchinn.com. Another Website with information on events from history to the present is maintained by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. It can be found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/intol_news.htm. The Center for the Study of Religious Violence has a Website with blog at http://religiousviolence.wordpress.com/, which contains articles and links relating to incidents of religious violence around the globe.

As these incidents show, no religious tradition or denomination is immune to violence. Facilities in every state, whether the city is large or small, are vulnerable. These are just a few of the reported incidents. It is estimated that most incidents go unreported.

Incidents Outside the United States

Religious institutions outside the United States have experienced dramatic events as well. Many countries are known for incidents of religious violence, particularly clashes between different religions, as well as clashes between different denominations of the same religion. The U.S. State Department issues an International Religious Freedom Report that describes the status of religious freedom in each foreign country, government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations, and individuals, and US policies to promote religious freedom around the world. The 2012 report can be accessed at http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm.

According to a Pew Center Report, religious hostilities around the world reached a six-year high in 2012.¹³ The level of harassment or intimidation of particular religious groups also experienced an increase in 2012. Harassers were governments—national, provincial, or local—as well as individuals and groups. Christians were harassed in 110 countries and Muslims in 109.¹⁴ In addition, 2012 also saw an increase in the share of countries where violence or the threat of violence was used to compel adherence to religious norms.¹⁵ The full study can be viewed at http://www.pewforum.org/2014/01/14/religious-hostilities-reach-six-year-high/.

• December 2012: At least 12 were killed in attacks on two Nigerian churches.¹⁶

• August 2013: The Greek Catholic Mar Elias Church and the Sunni Muslim Grand Mosque in Qusayr, Syria, were both almost totally destroyed as government and rebel forces battled for control. Though some icons have been recovered, they suffered grievous damage, with burns and tears running through the gilded works of art.¹⁷

• October 2013: Forty Coptic Christian Churches were attacked in Egypt.¹⁸

• June 2014: Hard-line Buddhists hurled gasoline bombs and looted homes and businesses on a Sunday in several towns in southwestern Sri Lanka. The attacks were led by a mob from Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force), which rails against the country’s Muslim minority.¹⁹

Terminology

To avoid confusion, the following terms will be used throughout this book. I’ve attempted to keep them as religion-neutral as possible so as to apply to a broad spectrum of religious traditions and organizational structures.

• Facility refers to the physical building and grounds, whether it is a temple, mosque, synagogue, church, parochial school, or other religious building.

• Organization refers to the group as a whole, including facility, the staff, and members.

• Principal refers to the head person at the facility. This person has the final say on all decisions made for the facility and its attendees...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• About the Authors
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Examining Typical Crimes
• 3. Understanding Basic Security Principles
• 4. Evaluating Risk
• 5. Choosing Physical and Electronic Security Countermeasures
• 6. Utilizing the Total Environment
• 7. Developing Policies and Procedures
• 8. Identifying and Handling At-Risk People
• 9. Reacting to an Event in Progress
• 10. Responding to an Active Shooter
• 11. Recovering from an Incident
• 12. Handling the Media
• 13. Recognizing Intangible Capital and Liability Concerns
• 14. Increasing Security Awareness
• 15. Implementing and Training
• 16. Keeping the Principal Safe
• 17. Assessing the Need for Less Lethal Tools and Firearms
• 18. Establishing Security Partnerships
• 19. Protecting Children and Youth
• 20. Conclusion and Summary
• Index