Church Security Gets a Closer Look

A 54-year-old security association announced today that it is taking a closer look at the security needs of houses of worship and faith-based organizations.  The “world’s largest organization for security professionals,” the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), has formed the Faith-Based Organization Security Committee in response to incidents of violence and other crimes against ministries of all stripes.

In 2009, the Christian Security Network, an organization allied with ASIS, documented nearly 500 such incidents in 42 states.  According to the report, burglary accounted for 64 percent of the crimes, and arson and general theft, at second and third, accounted for 13 percent and 7 percent respectively.

The Committee will identify the major risks that these groups face – including violent crimes, arson and internal theft – and develop standards and guidelines to combat them. One of the first projects of the committee is a resource guide for houses of worship and other faith-based organizations. The guide will provide insight and instruction for developing safety teams, assessing risks, identifying potential dangers and protecting high-profile religious leaders.