Church, Temple, and Worship Place Safety-Security

Church, Temple, and Worship Place Safety-Security

The Watchmen Project
“The safest place of worship is the best place to worship.”

There is nothing more tragically paralyzing than a perpetrator entering into your place of worship unexpected, undetected, and unchallenged freely moving through an assembly of people you know and care for with an impending plan to cause great pain and violence. VQuest Investigations and Protective Services, LLC and US Safety and Risk Management, LLC (USSARM.COM) have partnered to develop and implement a more advanced approach to expand the possibilities of safety and security for places of worship.

The “Watchmen Project” has been designed by two leading safety and security professionals with over seventy-five years of experience in law enforcement (New York City Police Department), military (US Marine Corps), homeland security (DHS WMD Trainers), and violence prevention methods (Emerging Violent Behavioral Profiling). Recent years of horrific acts of violence committed against places of worship worldwide and in the US include:

• The deadly shootings at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX (26 killed, 20 wounded)
• Burnette Chapel Church of Christin Antioch, TN (1 killed, 6 wounded)
• Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston, SC (9 killed)
• Sikh Temple of Wisconsin (6 killed, 4 wounded)
• Mater Misericordiae (Mother of Mercy) Mission Catholic Churchin Phoenix, AZ (Pastor killed)
• Tabernacle of Praise Worship Centerin Lake Charles, Louisiana (Pastor killed)
• Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas Cityand Village Shalom in Overland, KS (3 killed)
• Valley Unitarian Universalist Churchin Knoxville, TN (2 killed)
• Youth With a Mission Centerreligious complex in Colorado Springs/ New Life Church in Arvada, CO, (4 killed) and
• Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center bombing in Bloomington, MN (property damage only).

Churches and places of worship are known in the safety and security business as “soft targets.” That can mean that they are places open to everyone, unprotected, and pervious to the intentions of violent people. “The Watchmen Project” focuses on customizing a comprehensive premises control process that preserves the traditional welcome of faith-based organizations, and yet protects those places of worship from attack.

Attacks on Christian churches have become so commonplace that the Center for Homicide Research in Minneapolis built a database to track them. According to the data, which was extracted from newspaper accounts, there was a total of 139 shootings in churches between 1980 and 2005. The total death toll was 185 people, including 36 children. Although hatred of a particular group motivated a significant number of the shooters, in 23 cases, the violence targeted a domestic partner. Ten of the shootings were linked to “religious differences,” and one was called a hate crime.

That database was not maintained since 2005. The Huffington Post compiled a detailed list of eight church shootings between 2007 and 2014 that totaled 17 deaths. The data on church attacks is not complete, but it is completely obvious that we must take action to defend ourselves.

We can effectively create a true prevention and response process built into the ministry of the worship center by trained appointed “Watchmen” teams, unique security systems, and avant-garde prevention methodology. Our “Watchmen Project” service can deliver a reasonable freedom from danger, risk, and anxiety by empowering your ministry with a well-founded confidence to defend against violence.

The Project Elements

A program is a fixed system that has little flexibility and adaptation to new or different challenges. A “project” is ongoing, flexible, and adaptive to accomplish purposeful results for a desired outcome. The elements listed below are as we say in the US Marine Corps “Semper Gumby” (always flexible). We can help you begin your project by guiding you through the elements necessary to analyze your certain vulnerabilities, and design correct prevention and response remedies.

Our goal is to equip your place of worship to function a ministry of protection that is owned and operated by your institution. Every journey begins with the first step. The first step is to assess your risks. We apply a “what if” model approach while examining all possible routes of exposure to risk. We also apply a formula called “cascade controls” developed by the insurance industry. Our method insures the coverage and determinations for all threats faced by your congregation and staff.

Conduct a Vulnerability Assessment:

The assessment of your physical premises, written policies, protection/emergency equipment, ministry programs, insurance policies, travel habits, and much more will provide a picture of your risk tolerance and susceptibility. This will also give us a model to begin working out a schedule and criteria for training the “Watchmen” groups. The assessment will help us understand asset allocation and balanced survivability opportunities, including making recommendations for emergency equipment such as strategically placed alarms, surveillance tools, and other security mechanisms.

 Task Analysis:

Safety and security begins with protecting existing assets. Personal injuries and property damages can exact a great toll on finances and functions. We have found that one fall from a ladder while performing a simple task (like decorating for holidays) can result in serious injuries, death, lawsuits, insurance issues, operational delays, and congregation morale decline. We will conduct a task analysis on all routine and non-routine tasks performed by members and staff, to insure the proper safety and security procedures including legal standards are being complied with. An analysis of ministry programs such as your childcare should be conducted for safe hazard-free environments, surveillance, and staffing. Hiring practices and proper background checks for church employees is prerequisite (includes background checks for existing employees).

“Watchmen” Training and Education:

Based on the above assessment results, we will move to the most exciting and empowering element. “Knowledge is Power” and here we bring years of experience, and high levels of expertise in multi-disciplinary skill sets that equip your teams for the handling of threats and potential disasters. Our planning is comprehensive. Training and education modules may include the following:

• Firearms selection, maintenance, and use in emergencies
• Physical and mental fitness for “Watchmen” (selecting members)
• Observation, Identification, and Communication
• Premises liability controls
• Access and monitoring
• Childcare protection
• Church vehicles and transportation
• Policy development
• Hiring and background checks
• Weather emergencies
• Emergency notification
• De-escalation techniques
• Laws and legal standards in self-defense, use-of-force, and citizen’s arrest
• Prevention vs Response
• First-aid
• Information (Data) gathering, analysis, and dissemination
• Crowd control and “funneling”
• Safe areas
• Restricted areas
• Perimeter controls
• Attack and defense strategy and tactics
• Lockdown procedures
• Containment and engagement actions
• Interfacing with law enforcement and first-responders
• Reputation management
• Dealing with the news media
• Drills and exercises
• Debriefing
• After action reports
• Salvage and recovery
• Counseling

Select your level of protection. We have various levels of Project application. You may choose the level of security and safety for your establishment.

Contact us USSARM 912-659-1421 to discuss how we can help you secure your place of worship. Call for a presentation for your board, staff, or congregation.