In comparison to society at large, crimes against churches and synagogues represent a small percentage of the crimes committed each year. However recent trending by the FBI demonstrates that these incidents have continued to increase so much that the number of hate crimes against religious groups increased 9% from 2008 to 2009. The increase and significance of these events has caught the attention of legislators, law enforcement, security experts, and church leadership across the United States and has created the need for a balanced collaborative based approach to mitigate these incidents and events against our churches and synagogues

1. 2010
Protecting Churches and Synagogues:
A Collaborative Solutions Based Approach
Tony Zuniga, CPP
The Argent Group
Church Risk & Security Consulting
www.argentsecuritysolutions.com
Phone: (951) 479-6011

2. Overview
For many of us our places of worship such as a church or synagogue represent a very important
element of our lives that give it meaning and purpose. Our places of worship also function as
sanctuaries where we seek peace of mind and strength through the study and practice of our
faith. Unfortunately, today many of these sanctuaries have been impacted by incidents, issues
and criminal activity which have resulted in creating a significant impact upon the ability of
clergy, church staff and members to practice their faith with the same level of peace they once
enjoyed. Sadly, the places where we once sought refuge from the outside world are no longer
immune from the effects of the same issues, incidents and behaviors that impact most of society
today.
Every day we hear a new story of some type of incident or crime involving houses of worship.
Some instances involve outsiders committing these criminal acts and others involve crimes being
committed by people associated with or employed by these same institutions. Recent crimes
against places of worship across the nation and the world have included hate crimes, thefts,
vandalism, arson, burglary, fraud, embezzlement, crimes against children and various forms of
violent crimes including murder. Yet, as significant as some of these events were, they could
have been either prevented or mitigated to a large degree with awareness, planning and
preparation.
In comparison to society at large, crimes against churches and synagogues represent a small
percentage of the crimes committed each year. However recent trending by the FBI
demonstrates that these incidents have continued to increase so much that the number of hate
crimes against religious groups increased 9% from 2008 to 2009. The increase and significance
of these events has caught the attention of legislators, law enforcement, security experts, and
church leadership across the United States and has created the need for a balanced
collaborative based approach to mitigate these incidents and events against our churches and
synagogues
Solutions Based Approach
Those tasked with addressing these issues, incidents or events within the environment of a
church or synagogues must apply solutions that allow the organization to continue meeting
spiritual needs while simultaneously looking out for the safety and security of staff and those
they serve. This balanced approach must also include elements of prevention strategies that fit
within the overall mission of the church or synagogue to produce a “best fit” solution.
Recognizing the importance of avoiding “cookie cutter” solutions is critical and will ensure that
the organization’s security and safety objectives are met which will in turn enhance their ability
to focus on providing for the spiritual needs of those they serve.
The following is a brief list and overview of some of those elements needed for establishing a
successful protection program:
1. Create a Protection Committee – This committee will have at least one lead person who
is responsible for developing policies, enforcing compliance issues, and coordinating
with the organizations leadership, staff, volunteers and outside agencies to ensure that
appropriate measures are in place with respect to the protection of the organization,
members and ministry efforts. Areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:
 Management of Security, Safety and Risk for the Organization
 Development of Strategies, Plans, Policies and Procedures
 Emergency Preparedness and Management
 Oversight of Crisis Management and Ministry Protection Programs

3. 2. Create a Culture of Awareness and Preparedness – Establishing a culture that includes
awareness and preparedness programs and training these initiatives will go a long way
towards your goal of preventing and mitigating risks, safety or security issues.
3. Assess Potential Threats, Risks and Concerns - Determining what specific internal and
external, and intangible risks your church/synagogue may encounter can be a lengthy
process that will require leadership and others to think outside the box in order to gain
an accurate assessment.
4. Perform a Security Assessment and Survey – Completing a threat assessment and
security survey is a critical element for developing a comprehensive security plan that
focuses on:
 Overall security status of organization
 Identifying security deficiencies
 Determining levels of protection needed
 Establishing criteria for improvement of security, safety and risk programs
5. Enhance Physical Security Measures - This method reduces the opportunity for would be
criminals by creating barriers between them and their target. Minimizing opportunities
frequently cause the criminal to move along or pick another target. The focus of this
strategy is on:
 Access Control
 Lighting
 Alarms
 Locks
 CCTV
 Landscaping
 Signage
 Safes
 Inventory Control
6. Establish Financial Control Measures - Develop a financial control policy to ensure that all
monies are handled, reported and audited in a manner that reduces opportunities for
theft or misappropriation. The focus will be on reducing the likelihood of these crimes or
issues:
 Robbery
 Embezzlement
 Theft
 Fraud
7. Ensure Safety of Youth and Children – Developing a solid well thought out policies and
procedures associated with youth or children’s programs is critical. The following are
elements that should be included as benchmarks for these programs:
 Standardized Application Process for Employees & Volunteers
 Clear Oversight and Accountability
 Thorough Background Checks
 Strict Access Control Procedures for Sensitive Areas

4. 8. Establish a Crisis Response Plan – Development of a Crisis Response Plan (CRP) is a
frequently overlooked area by many churches or synagogues with regards to mitigating
risks from a variety of threats. The CRP should have the authority to act in response to
organizational threats issues and those within the community. Response to these crises
will require the use of well organized teams that are prepared to effective deal with most
internal and external situations. The establishment of a CRP can allow the organization
to deal with crisis as they occur, recover more quickly and act as a means of providing
information to the public or media about significant events involving the organization.
The CRP will focus on the areas and strategies of:
 Identifying Risks and Potential Crisis
 Analyzing the Impact and Scope of the Risks & Crisis
 Promote a Positive Understanding of Response, Recovery & Mitigation Programs
 Selecting the Best Risk and Crisis Management Techniques
 Implementing Appropriate Techniques and Responses
 Evaluating and Gathering Feedback
 Maintain Communication with those Affected by the Crisis
Summary
The above recommendations are meant to serve as a starting point for those who are seeking to
create and implement an effective plan for protecting their church or synagogue. Remember
that although this article has primarily focused on events, issues or incidents of a criminal nature
there are a variety of other events that may affect your church or synagogue. These include
natural or man-made disasters, terrorist threats or activity, environmental hazards, accidents at a
church sponsored trip or event, legislative or court actions and others types of incidents, issues
or emergencies.
As a former Police Officer and service member, I have often had to explain myself to others
regarding my views about how God’s sovereignty aligns itself with the prospect of defense of
self, family homes, communities and places of worship. In those instances I have offered up the
following regarding whether we should or are even allowed to make provisions for protection.
When Nehemiah and those who were rebuilding the gates and walls of Jerusalem were
completing this work they were acting as both builders and defenders, each man was armed
with his own tool for building and a weapon for defending themselves.
Those who built on the wall and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that with one hand
they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword
girded at his side as he built (Nehemiah 4:17-18).
The decision to protect your congregation, church, or home, and even yourself should be
considered an essential and critical aspect of any ministry or effort you engage in. Every place of
worship has its various ministries and positions that help them function as one body and every
member of that body plays a crucial role in the life of the church. The proactive role and
responsibility of protecting your Church or Synagogue is no less important or critical to
maintaining an effective ministry than any of the others. Please consider this as you evaluate
what your needs might be and how you will address them. For additional information about
this article or protection strategies, please contact The Argent Group at
www.argentsecuritysolutions.com