Churches Around the Country Revaluate Security Following Church Massacre

Churches Around the Country Reevaluate Security Following Church Massacre

The mass shooting at a South Texas church during services Sunday has many churches across the country reevaluating their security.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • Nov 07, 2017

The mass shooting at a South Texas church Sunday that left 26 people dead and at least 20 injured is the latest of at least three church shootings in the past three years. With attacks on relatively unprotected sites like places of worship increasing, many churches across the country are reevaluating their security measures.

“It’s absolutely a wake-up call regardless of where you are in security planning. Security needs to be part of every church’s function, whether it’s a church of 50 or 21,000, like Redemption,” said Travis Hayes, CFO of Redemption Church in Greenville, South Carolina.

Redemption started reevaluating its security policy and protocol in the wake of the 2015 Charleston Church massacre. The church uses 166 cameras across its campus, as well as armed and unarmed guards. It also works closely with Greenville Police and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.

Hayes said he believes churches have a responsibility to protect those coming to their campuses to worship. “I think there’s a fine balance in having an armed security officer at every corner versus being an open-doors, you-come facility. But I think you can find that balance.”

In the meantime, the Trump Administration is strengthening their efforts to train places of worship on emergency security protocols. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships began to focus on security during the Obama Administration after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012, developing active shooter trainings for schools and houses of worship.

Jamie Johnson, the office’s director, told TIME that recently they have seen “an increased level of concern” from “every faith tradition” when it comes to security.

“This is a wing of American evangelicalism that is deeply hurting right now,” Johnson said. “We are going to be a whole lot busier in the months and years to come when it comes to safety and security for houses of worship. This issue will now come to the forefront of the religious conversation in America.”

Earlier this year, Texas had their own discussion about security in churches and other houses of worship. Senate Bill 2065, which went into effect September 1, 2017, includes language allowing volunteers providing security at places of worship exemption from the requirements of the Private Security Act. The goal was to make it easier for churches and other places of worship to form volunteer security teams, as the legislation waives state requirements on training, licensing, insurance and background checks for these teams, making them a more viable option.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

  • Unlocking Trustworthy AI: Building Transparency in Security Governance

    In situations where AI supports important security tasks like leading investigations and detecting threats and anomalies, transparency is essential. When an incident occurs, investigators must trace the logic behind each automated response to confirm its validity or spot errors. Demanding interpretable AI turns opaque “black boxes” into accountable partners that enhance, rather than compromise, organizational defense. Read Now

  • Seeking Innovative Solutions

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You may recognize these terms as the “5 Phases” of a grieving process, but they could easily describe the phases one goes through before adopting any new or emerging innovation or technology, especially in a highly risk-averse industry like security. However, the desire for convenience in all aspects of modern life is finally beginning to turn the tide from old school hardware as the go-to towards more user-friendly, yet still secure, door solutions. Read Now

  • Where AI Meets Human Judgment

    Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It is driving business growth, shaping consumer experiences, and showing up in places most of us never imagined just a few years ago. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.