| Zechariah 9:8 |
"But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch." |
| 05/23/11 - Church Security: taking lessons from mall security |
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I recently read a great article by Leischen Stelter from Security Director News about security at a mall in Florida. As I read the article I was impressed by the measures they have taken in providing a safe and secure environment, yet keeping an open and inviting atmosphere, and isn't that what churches are always saying that they want? I saw many of the procedures being deployed are ones that we have recommended churches adopt for years, so I thought it would be great for you to read the entire story (we provided the link below), but I would like to point out some of the highlights of how these mall security measures have direct application to your church. Visibility The mall realized an important thing; the opening and closing of the mall were important times to keep their security people posted and visible on the exterior and the parking lots. As stated in the article it makes the people feel safe by seeing a security presence and it shows the bad guys that they are watching; a great combination of showing you care and a deterrent factor for criminals. Protect the parking lots You notice that after the opening and closing of the mall, the security personnel start conducting their patrols, but they don't abandon the outside parking lots. They know from experience that the parking lots are always a place where you want to protect what and who is out there, plus keeping a visible presence during open hours gives them the ability to spot a problem before it even gets in the doors. This is the one area that most churches drop the ball. Many put people in the parking lots, but then as soon as services start, and the majority of people are inside, they go inside too and that is a mistake. Keep people posted outside all day long until the last person leaves. Here is a tip that I used to have my security people do and it does two things, keep the outside patrols sharp and alert and stops them from being bored! While they are outside have them go around and look into as many vehicles as possible. If there are things inside the vehicle that would be inviting for a criminal to steal (e.g. iPods, cell phones, purses, etc.) have pre-printed notes that you can leave on the windshield that states something like "We noticed you left valuables visible in your vehicle and if we saw them, criminals will too. Please keep your valuables and our property safe and crime free - in the future leave them at home, lock them in your trunk, or take them inside with you" We care!" Your people will also find cars unlocked, doors literally left open, and windows left rolled down - help educate them and reduce crime. Conduct table-top exercises The mall conducts table-top exercises on a regular basis and even though they admit this is kind of "low tech" it does serve a valuable purpose. Getting people together and working through the "what if" scenarios is a great tool and you usually end up finding out there are more questions than answers at the end, but that is the time to find them out, not during an actual incident. There is no limit to the scenarios you can utilize, just look at the incidents that CSN reports - these are real life crimes and emergency situations that have occurred and ones your church may face. We try to give you a scenario each month to play out, but use your imagination and come up with ones specific to your church and see how everyone at the table would handle it. Include law enforcement We always stress this point: get your local law enforcement involved in planning and training. Most are very good in participating and welcome the opportunity to get to know the organization better. This is invaluable if an actual incident occurs. And offer your church as a training facility for area SWAT teams; they love to practice to in different buildings and play out different scenarios. This is not only a benefit to them, but it also gets them to know your church in case they are ever called out - it is a win-win situation. Share information The mall security spoke about the benefit of sharing information with the retail stores in their mall and visa versa, and I would compare this with sharing information with other churches in your area. Chances are if you have had an incident, other area churches will to and being forewarned is great in being prepared. So network with your churches and encourage them to share information as it happens. Again, this doesn't have to be high-tech; just having an information calling tree on paper is invaluable. When one church experiences an incident or has a suspicious person or situation, they call two other churches and the next church calls two other churches, etc. And don't forget to contact your local law enforcement if you have an incident; you always want to keep them in the information loop. Pay attention to details There is this theory in law enforcement called the "broken window" theory and without getting into a lot of details, it basically proves that if you let the little things go, they will eventually invite and turn into big problems. The mall security in this story understands this concept and enforces the small things and that is what the church should do. If you have policies or rules involving parental guidance of children, people being on the church property or in the church building, or other rules of conduct, make sure they are enforced - pay attention to the little things, it shows awareness and uniformity across the board. Kill them with kindness This is the best line and one that we always stress with churches. By the very nature of being Christian, there is no better reason to treat all people with respect, kindness, and attention - everyone including the people you suspect may be a potential problem. Take the direct approach of suspicious people by walking up to them, shaking their hands, and engage in conversation; good Christians like this, bad guys don't. But treating everyone the same is a great way to "weed out" who belongs and who doesn't, but is all done with kindness. These are all great "lessons learned" and hopefully will inspire you to start them at your own church. You will notice almost none of these require any great expense, just time, training, and coordination. Read the entire article at http://www.securitydirectornews.com/?p=article&id=sd201105QtUXO In Christ, Jeff Hawkins Executive Director Comments about this article? We welcome your feedback: click here |
