With houses of worship being the target of many recent mass shootings, some people are looking to ensure that the people that attend are safe from these threats. Andrew Surace is a former law enforcement officer that has since specialized in the field of person and site security. With this, comes his own take on how to secure a venue that is dedicated to keeping its doors open and welcoming to those that wish to enter.
Securing the Sacred can be used to help anyone understand how to employ a personal security team in larger and smaller organizations. His approach to safety in the church includes a portion on use of force and the concentric rings of security. The security rings also apply to the home and office, as you have the outside security (early warning, dogs), middle (securing the doors, alarm system), and inner ring (physical defense, chemical/hand to hand/firearm). This layering approach should be used in every office and home in similar way it is described in the book.
This book can be of great value both to those that work with their church safety team, and also for those that are interested in how to set up security in their home and workplace, this is a valuable resource.
If you need more information on the culture and attitude needed for a church safety group, also consult "What They Don't Tell You About Church Safety" by Brian Donihue. It will go over the attitude of servitude needed to effectively mesh with the churches overall mission.
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