Securing Places of Worship in Today's World
Did you know in 2008 there was poll of 4000 churches and it revealed that 75% of them had NO security and 22% of them responded that “Security is not necessary” This picture is what can happen if there is no type of security systems in place.
I can't imagine that has changed much even with all the incidents lately.
"The U.S. State Department has placed Faith-Based Organizations in the world's top FIVE "at risk" sectors. and noted that places of worship are behind the curve, compared to the secular world, in terms of security and emergency preparedness"
“2007 State Department Briefing”
There is one technology that can help prevent, deter, and help get justice.
That technology is CCTV recording.
However, not all CCTV recordings are able to help. There are many things to consider when purchasing a CCTV system. First of all there are various technologies available such as analog, IP, mega-pixel, HD, and others. They types of cameras that you choose may require different types of cables or internet connections. In my opinion the most important thing is the quality of the recording and the ability to locate the recorded video.
Questions to ask yourself before installing a CCTV system.
What happens if the thieves steal my recorder?
What if there was a fire and the recorder was destroyed?
What happens if the vandals destroy the recorder?
What happens if a volunteer erases the recordings?
What if someone disables a camera?
What is the internet is disabled?
What happens if I lose power to my facility?
How can I afford a dependable system?
Who should I call for the right solution?
Unlike security systems which only notify police after burglars have broken into your facility and stolen your valuable possessions, remote video monitoring provides protection even before the burglars have a chance to lay a hand on your belongings. Remote video monitoring works as a live feed that is streamed to a central location. One person is capable of monitoring virtual guards for up to 20 different locations at once. When a criminal is witnessed in the act of trying to gain access or doing damage to your property, you are provided with three different options: having the security company call the police, trigger a loud siren to warn the burglar/vandal their presence is acknowledged or having a speaker announce that the police have been notified. With remote video monitoring, law enforcement is helped to catch the felon before he or she has a chance to steal from or vandalize your property.
If remote monitoring seams like overkill for you facility you may be correct. There are other solutions available too. Maybe you want to consider uploading video to an off-site data center. Years ago that was a very costly expense. However, there are some very inexpensive systems available now that are only a few dollars per month. This technology also gives you the ability to have long term storage of your video files for future reference.
