Security at Places of Worship: More Than a Matter of Faith
June 17, 2009
By Scott Stewart and Fred Burton
In recent months, several high-profile incidents have raised awareness of the threat posed by individuals and small groups operating under the principles of leaderless resistance. These incidents have included lone wolf attacks against a doctor who performed abortions in Kansas, an armed forces recruitment center in Arkansas and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Additionally, a grassroots jihadist cell was arrested for attempting to bomb Jewish targets in the Bronx and planning to shoot down a military aircraft at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y.
In addition to pointing out the threat posed by grassroots cells and lone wolf operatives, another common factor in all of these incidents is the threat of violence to houses of worship. The cell arrested in New York left what they thought to be active improvised explosive devices outside the Riverdale Temple and the Riverdale Jewish Community Center. Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed in the lobby of the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. Although Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad conducted his attacks against a Little Rock recruiting center, he had conducted preoperational surveillance and research on targets that included Jewish organizations and a Baptist church in places as far away as Atlanta and Philadelphia. And while James von Brunn attacked the Holocaust Museum, he had a list of other potential targets in his vehicle that included the National Cathedral.
In light of this common thread, it might be instructive to take a more detailed look at the issue of providing security for places of worship.
Awareness: The First Step
Until there is awareness of the threat, little can be done to counter it. In many parts of the world, such as Iraq, India and Pakistan, attacks against places of worship occur fairly frequently. It is not difficult for religious leaders and members of their congregations in such places to be acutely aware of the dangers facing them and to have measures already in place to deal with those perils. This is not always the case in the United States, however, where many people tend to have an “it can’t happen here” mindset, believing that violence in or directed against places of worship is something that happens only to other people elsewhere.
This mindset is particularly pervasive among predominantly white American Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations. Jews, Mormons, Muslims and black Christians, and others who have been targeted by violence in the past, tend to be far more aware of the threat and are far more likely to have security plans and measures in place to counter it. The Jewish community has very well-developed and professional organizations such as the Secure Community Network (SCN) and the Anti-Defamation League that are dedicated to monitoring threats and providing education about the threats and advice regarding security. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has taken on a similar role for the Muslim community and has produced a “Muslim community safety kit” for local mosques. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) also has a very organized and well-connected security department that provides information and security advice and assistance to LDS congregations worldwide.
There are no functional equivalents to the SCN or the LDS security departments in the larger Catholic, evangelical Protestant and mainline Protestant communities, though there are some organizations such as the recently established Christian Security Network that have been attempting to fill the void.
Following an incident, awareness of the threat seems to rise for a time, and some houses of worship will put some security measures in place, but for the most part such incidents are seen as events that take place elsewhere, and the security measures are abandoned after a short time.
Permanent security measures are usually not put in place until there has been an incident of some sort at a specific house of worship, and while the triggering incident is sometimes something that merely provides a good scare, other times it is a violent action that results in tragedy. Even when no one is hurt in the incident, the emotional damage caused to a community by an act of vandalism or arson at a house of worship can be devastating.
It is important to note here that not all threats to places of worship will emanate from external actors. In the midst of any given religious congregation, there are, by percentages, people suffering from serious mental illnesses, people engaged in bitter child-custody disputes, domestic violence situations and messy divorces. Internal disputes in the congregation can also lead to feuds and violence. Any of these situations can (and have) led to acts of violence inside houses of worship
Security Means More than Alarms and Locks
An effective security program is more than just having physical security measures in place. Like any man-made constructs, physical security measures — closed-circuit television (CCTV), alarms, cipher locks and so forth — have finite utility. They serve a valuable purpose in institutional security programs, but an effective security program cannot be limited to these things. Devices cannot think or evaluate. They are static and can be observed, learned and even fooled. Also, because some systems frequently produce false alarms, warnings in real danger situations may be brushed aside. Given these shortcomings, it is quite possible for anyone planning an act of violence to map out, quantify and then defeat or bypass physical security devices. However, elaborate planning is not always necessary. Consider the common scenario of a heavy metal door with very good locks that is propped open with a trashcan or a door wedge. In such a scenario, an otherwise “secure” door is defeated by an internal security lapse.
However, even in situations where there is a high degree of threat awareness, there is a tendency to place too much trust in physical security measures, which can become a kind of crutch — and, ironically, an obstacle to effective security.
In fact, to be effective, physical security devices always require human interaction. An alarm is useless if no one responds to it, or if it is not turned on; a lock is ineffective if it is not engaged. CCTV cameras are used extensively in corporate office buildings and some houses of worship, but any competent security manager will tell you that, in reality, they are far more useful in terms of investigating a theft or act of violence after the fact than in preventing one (although physical security devices can sometimes cause an attacker to divert to an easier target).
No matter what kinds of physical security measures may be in place at a facility, they are far less likely to be effective if a potential assailant feels free to conduct preoperational surveillance, and is free to observe and map those physical security measures. The more at ease someone feels as they set about identifying and quantifying the physical security systems and procedures in place, the higher the odds they will find ways to beat the system.
A truly “hard” target is one that couples physical security measures with an aggressive, alert attitude and sense of awareness. An effective security program is proactive — looking outward to where most real threats are lurking — rather than inward, where the only choice is to react once an attack has begun to unfold. We refer to this process of proactively looking for threats as protective intelligence.
The human interaction required to make physical security measures effective, and to transform a security program into a proactive protective intelligence program, can come in the form of designated security personnel. In fact, many large houses of worship do utilize off-duty police officers, private security guards, volunteer security guards or even a dedicated security staff to provide this coverage. In smaller congregations, security personnel can be members of the congregation who have been provided some level of training.
However, even in cases where there are specially designated security personnel, such officers have only so many eyes and can only be in a limited number of places at any one time. Thus, proactive security programs should also work to foster a broad sense of security awareness among the members of the congregation and community, and use them as additional resources.
Unfortunately, in many cases, there is often a sense in the religious community that security is bad for the image of a particular institution, or that it will somehow scare people away from houses of worship. Because of this, security measures, if employed, are often hidden or concealed from the congregation. In such cases, security managers are deprived of many sets of eyes and ears. Certainly, there may be certain facets of a security plan that not everyone in the congregation needs to know about, but in general, an educated and aware congregation and community can be a very valuable security asset.
Training
In order for a congregation to maintain a sense of heightened awareness it must learn how to effectively do that. This training should not leave people scared or paranoid — just more observant. People need to be trained to look for individuals who are out of place, which can be somewhat counterintuitive. By nature, houses of worship are open to outsiders and seek to welcome strangers. They frequently have a steady turnover of new faces. This causes many to believe that, in houses of worship, there is a natural antagonism between security and openness, but this does not have to be the case. A house of worship can have both a steady stream of visitors and good security, especially if that security is based upon situational awareness.
At its heart, situational awareness is about studying people, and such scrutiny will allow an observer to pick up on demeanor mistakes that might indicate someone is conducting surveillance. Practicing awareness and paying attention to the people approaching or inside a house of worship can also open up a whole new world of ministry opportunities, as people “tune in” to others and begin to perceive things they would otherwise miss if they were self-absorbed or simply not paying attention. In other words, practicing situational awareness provides an excellent opportunity for the members of a congregation to focus on the needs and burdens of other people.
It is important to remember that every attack cycle follows the same general steps. All criminals — whether they are stalkers, thieves, lone wolves or terrorist groups — engage in preoperational surveillance (sometimes called “casing,” in the criminal lexicon). Perhaps the most crucial point to be made about preoperational surveillance is that it is the phase when someone with hostile intentions is most apt to be detected — and the point in the attack cycle when potential violence can be most easily disrupted or prevented.
The second most critical point to emphasize about surveillance is that most criminals are not that good at it. They often have terrible surveillance tradecraft and are frequently very obvious. Most often, the only reason they succeed in conducting surveillance without being detected is because nobody is looking for them. Because of this, even ordinary people, if properly instructed, can note surveillance activity.
It is also critically important to teach people — including security personnel and members of the congregation — what to do if they see something suspicious and whom to call to report it. Unfortunately, a lot of critical intelligence is missed because it is not reported in a timely manner — or not reported at all — mainly because untrained people have a habit of not trusting their judgment and dismissing unusual activity. People need to be encouraged to report what they see.
Additionally, people who have been threatened, are undergoing nasty child-custody disputes or have active restraining orders protecting them against potentially violent people need to be encouraged to report unusual activity to their appropriate points of contact.
As a part of their security training, houses of worship should also instruct their staff and congregation members on procedures to follow if a shooter enters the building and creates what is called an active-shooter situation. These “shooter” drills should be practiced regularly — just like fire, tornado or earthquake drills. The teachers of children’s classes and nursery workers must also be trained in how to react.
Liaison
One of the things the SCN and ADL do very well is foster security liaison among Jewish congregations within a community and between those congregations and local, state and federal law enforcement organizations. This is something that houses of worship from other faiths should attempt to duplicate as part of their security plans.
While having a local cop in a congregation is a benefit, contacting the local police department should be the first step. It is very important to establish this contact before there is a crisis in order to help expedite any law enforcement response. Some police departments even have dedicated community liaison officers, who are good points of initial contact. There are other specific points of contact that should also be cultivated within the local department, such as the SWAT team and the bomb squad.
Local SWAT teams often appreciate the chance to do a walk-through of a house of worship so that they can learn the layout of the building in case they are ever called to respond to an emergency there. They also like the opportunity to use different and challenging buildings for training exercises (something that can be conducted discreetly after hours). Congregations with gyms and weight rooms will often open them up for local police officers to exercise in, and some congregations will also offer police officers a cup of coffee and a desk where they can sit and type their reports during evening hours.
But the local police department is not the only agency with which liaison should be established. Depending on the location of the house of worship, the state police, state intelligence fusion center or local joint terrorism task force should also be contacted. By working through state and federal channels, houses of worship in specific locations may even be eligible for grants to help underwrite security through programs such as the Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
The world is a dangerous place and attacks against houses of worship will continue to occur. But there are proactive security measures that can be taken to identify attackers before they strike and help prevent attacks from happening or mitigate their effects when they do.
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VIRGINITY MOVEMENT ON THE DEFENSIVE, SCRAMBLING TO REBRAND
By Jessica Valenti, The Nation
Progressives have to fight back to ensure that abstinence groups don’t regain their cultural footing.
http://www.alternet.org/sex/140817/virginity_movement_on_the_defensive%2C_scrambling_to_rebrand/
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DEAR ANTI-CHOICERS: PLEASE SHUT UP ABOUT THE NON-EXISTENT LINK BETWEEN ABORTION AND BREAST CANCER
By Melissa McEwan, Shakesville
I guess hard evidence is easy to ignore when you don’t really believe in science.
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KENTUCKY PASTOR TELLS FOLLOWERS TO BRING GUNS TO CHURCH
By Melissa McEwan, Shakesville
“Guns and God were part of the foundation of this country,” said Ken Pagano . “I don’t see any contradiction in this.”
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/140949/kentucky_pastor_tells_followers_to_bring_guns_to_church/
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SPIES IN THE CLASSROOM: THE GOVERNMENT IS RUNNING A SECRETIVE INTELLIGENCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS
By David Price, CounterPunch
The “Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program” may become a permanent budget item, making universities unwitting agents of state intelligence.
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WHY DO ATHEISTS HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ATHEISM? BECAUSE WE’RE RIGHT.
By Greta Christina, AlterNet
Thinking you’re right, and trying to persuade other people you’re right is not intolerant or close-minded — it’s a cornerstone of democracy.
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In the light of evolution III
June 23rd, 2009
Read more:
http://ncseweb.org/news/2009/06/light-evolution-iii-004861
A special supplement to the June 16, 2009, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled “In the light of evolution III: Two centuries of Darwin” is now freely available.
http://www.pnas.org/content/106/suppl.1.toc
The Dynamics of Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Giants
Examines how prehistoric animals lived, moved, and finally died out by using drawings and charts to make comparisons with large modern animals such as elephants.
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Texas School District Has No Right To Force Native American Boy To Cut Hair, Says Americans United
Watchdog Group Says Private Religious Activity In School Is Protected
June 26, 2009
Officials at a Texas public school have no right to force a Native American elementary school student to cut his hair, which he wears long for religious reasons, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Americans United today filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting student Adriel Arocha and his family. The family is challenging a grooming policy at the Needville Independent School District that bans long hair for male students.
“Public schools must never sponsor prayer or other religious activities,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “At the same time, they have an obligation to allow voluntary student religious expression that doesn’t interfere with the rights of others.
Read the full press release at au.org
http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/06/texas-school-district-has-no.html
Americans United (AU) is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State http://www.au.org/
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Americans United Urges Attorney General to Act On Unlawful ‘Earmark’ Funding Of Nine Religious Institutions
Watchdog Group Says Private Religious Activity In School Is Protected
June 26, 2009
Officials at a Texas public school have no right to force a Native American elementary school student to cut his hair, which he wears long for religious reasons, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Americans United today filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting student Adriel Arocha and his family. The family is challenging a grooming policy at the Needville Independent School District that bans long hair for male students.
“Public schools must never sponsor prayer or other religious activities,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “At the same time, they have an obligation to allow voluntary student religious expression that doesn’t interfere with the rights of others.
Read the full press release at au.org
http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/06/au-urges-attorney-general-to.html
Americans United (AU) is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State http://www.au.org/
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HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES RELIGIOUS SLOGANEERING AT CAPITAL VISITOR CENTER
A congressional committee has approved a resolution that would use public money to have the current national lotto (“In God We Trust”) and the Pledge of Allegiance (“One Nation Under God”) included at the new Capitol Hill Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
H. Con. Res. 131 directs the Architect of the Capitol to install the texts, but makes no direct reference to religion. The motto and the Pledge, however, have been at the center of lawsuits and growing controversy, and charges that they promote religious belief. The current motto was adopted in 1956 when then-President Dwight Eisenhower signed Public Law 851, replacing the earlier, original slogan “Out of Many, One” or “E Pluribus Unum.” Christian advocacy groups had been promoting the religious version since 1861 when the latter was proposed by Rev. M. R. Watkinson. In 1864, Congress enacted legislation that placed “In God We Trust” on the nation’s money.
The religionized Pledge of Allegiance came about in 1954 with the addition of the words “under God.”
Both practices have been challenged unsuccessfully as establishments of religion by the government. The sloganeering was part of a wider effort during the cold war to combat what was perceived as “godless Communism.” Today, defenders of the religious motto and pledge describe these practices as instruments which “acknowledge our nation’s religious heritage,” or promote public morality.
Critics charge that they place the government in the position of supporting religious belief, and often sectarian Christianity.
The Resolution was introduced by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.). “While the Capitol Visitor Center did a good job of incorporating many elements, I believe there are two important items (that) were absent — the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Motto ‘In God We Trust,” ” Lungren told reporters. “I am pleased that this resolution remedies this oversight and incorporates important parts of our national heritage into the CVC.”
Lungren added that his Resolution addresses the concerns of social and religious conservatives who are “extremely unhappy” that the Center curator supposedly removed certain language from historical
displays prior to the opening of the $621 million facility. A supporter of the legislation, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) grumbled that the Center”generally ignores” the role of religious belief in the founding of the United States.
“There are a few articles in the CVC that reflect elements of faith,” said DeMint. “There are two bibles, a picture of the congressional nondenominational faith space and the oath of office — but I believe they grossly understate the prominent role of faith and Judeo-Christian values in the history of this great building.”
The dispute over the new visitor center has also become a cause celebre for former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. Traditionally identified as a social conservative with ties to religious right groups, Gingrich has become more outspoken in recent months over the need to keep evangelical extremists in the party ranks. His book “Rediscovering God in America” is seen as a part of a larger effort to win religious-right support. Rob Boston of Americans United told the People for the American Way web site: “The idea of Newt Gingrich as the next leader of the religious right is not as odd as it sounds. During his tenure as Speaker, Gingrich was known mainly for his
promotion of small government, low taxes, and libertarian ideas, but a lot has changed since 1999; in recent years, Gingrich has been stressing religious-right themes.”
Boston cited the 2006 publication of Gingrich’s book where he argues that America is a “Christian nation.” Gingrich also told U.S. News & World Report magazine that he is launching a new effort
to unite evangelical Christians with Roman Catholics to support a faith-based social agenda. Gingrich has also been teaming up with David Barton, a proponent of “Christian America” revisionist history; many of Barton’s claims have been critically panned by researchers and historians.
One vehicle for Gingrich is his new political committee, “Renewing American Leadership.” This group has jumped into the fray over the Congressional Visitors Center with a 23-page report, “Reconstructing American History” that accuses center officials of “bias” and other transgressions. The report also charges that the curator of CVC, the Capitol Preservation Committee and even the House Architect and staff designed the new visitor center so that it “presents visitors with a biased, unbalanced, incomplete and in many cases inaccurate history if America and the Capitol.”
One specific target of the group’s concern was the original center presentation of the national motto. In a display titled “Unity,” the center noted that “E Pluribus Unum” symbolized: “Out of many– one –(and) expresses the ideal of our Union; many states, one nation. Representing all the states, Congress has promoted national unity through a process of inquiry, debate, compromise,
and consensus. These documents record the continuing legislative efforts to meet the broadest needs of the people.”
On the Hill, 108 Congressional Representatives joined in a letter to the Capitol Architect protesting the lack of religious themes in the current center exhibition space. One was Rep. Randy Forbes
(R-Va.) who complained to reporters: “Our concern is not just with the Capitol Visitor Center, but an increasing pattern of attempts to remove references to our religious heritage from our nation’s
capital. The Capitol Visitor Center is just one example of efforts to censor God, faith and religion from our historical buildings, documents and ceremonies.”
Complete article at:
AANEWS for Saturday, June 27, 2009 http://www.atheists.org
Thomas Paine …
“The study of theology, as it stands in the Christian churches, is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no authority; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing; and it admits of no conclusion.”
Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom
Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting “Jesus Christ,” so that it would read “A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;” the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.
Milt Priggee: there, but for the grace of …
(www.cagle.com)
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Former SC youth minister charged with lewd acts And more …
WBTV – Charlotte,NC,USA
AP – June 19, 2009 12:15 PM ET COLUMBIA, SC (AP) -
A former youth minister at a South Carolina church has been arrested and charged with sex crimes
…
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10562598
Minister charged with sexual abusing 4 females
Chicago Tribune – United States
AP COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -
A minister who led churches in Lincoln, Neb. and Council Bluffs has been charged with sexually abusing four females, …
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ne-ministercharged,0,2503207.story
Preacher Charged with Murder, DUI
Avvo – Seattle,WA,USA
The case against an Ohio preacher who is charged with wanton murder and a DUI is expected to go in front of a grand jury tomorrow, WKRC-TV Local12.com …
http://www.avvo.com/news/preacher-charged-with-murder–dui-295.html
Judge grants bond for Belle Glade minister accused of sexual acts …
Palm Beach Post – FL, United States
James Richard Harris, 61, is charged with sexual battery, unlawful sexual activity with a minor, lewd and lascivious battery, and showing obscene material …
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/06/18/0618harris.html
Ga Minister Charged With Child Molestation
News Story WSB Atlanta
GORDON COUNTY, Ga. — A Gordon County minister was arrested, accused of molesting a then 11-year-old girl.
Sunday, June 21, 2009.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19815287/detail.html
N.Y. Minister Charged With Sexually Abusing Girl in Jamaica …
NY Minister Charged With Sexually Abusing Girl in Jamaica, Jamaican police say Paul Lewis is charged with carnal abuse and indecent assault in an incident …
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526990,00.html
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Three pastors …
Three pastors went to the pastor convention and were all sharing one room.
The first pastor said, “Let’s confess our secret sins one to another.
I’ll start – my secret sin is I just love to gamble.
When I go out of town, it’s cha-ching cha-ching, let the machines ring.”
The second pastor said, “My secret sin is that I just hate working.
I copy all my sermons from those given by other pastors.”
The third pastor said, “My secret sin is gossiping and, oh boy, I just can’t wait to get out of this room!”
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three thousand words
|
Nick Anderson
Houston Chronicle May 19, 2009 |
150 years ago, this is what “traditional” marriage meant.
(flickr.com)
Matt Davies: … defending traditional marriage
(davies.lohudblogs.com)