10 Ways to Improve Church Security 

Churches and other houses of worship are spaces of shelter, peace, and reflection. Faith leaders strive to welcome everyone, but the risk of crime, accidents, and disasters makes that more difficult.

If you want to make your church a safe space where people can worship without fear, comprehensive security is key. We’ve put together ten church security tips to help you implement an effective system tailored to your unique needs.

What is church security? #

Church security refers to the devices, personnel, and policies a church uses to protect people and property from threats. It deters and prevents criminal activity, including theft, violence, and vandalism, as well as other emergencies.

The scope of a church’s security system depends on a wide range of factors. When implementing a system, church leadership considers the size of the physical structure, crime rates in the surrounding area, the number of church members, and risk levels for natural disasters. Based on those factors, your system might feature some or all of these elements:

• Security plans and procedures
• Security guards
• Technologies for monitoring, access control, and alarms
• Perimeter security, such as fences and gates

These different parts should work together to secure your church from every angle. For instance, your church security policy and procedures should include details about your alarm, surveillance, and access control systems and what purposes they serve.

Why church security matters #

Most people view churches as places of refuge and safety, but they have several vulnerabilities. Many are located in busy areas with easy physical access, and they tend to have high foot traffic, making it difficult to prevent people with bad intentions from entering.

Potential risks #

Criminals sometimes view churches as soft targets they can enter or attack with little fear of being caught, and crime has increased as a result. These incidents aren’t always shocking enough to make headlines, but they occur fairly regularly. A 2021 study found 4,169 criminal incidents—including theft, vandalism, assault, and burglary—at churches and other places of worship in the United Kingdom over the past year.

In the United States, around 480 incidents of serious violence occur each year, which translates to 46 deaths and 218 serious injuries. The motives for this violence vary, ranging from mental health disorders and family disputes to hate crimes and robberies, and 67% of the assailants in these incidents had no affiliation with the congregations involved.

The need for church security also extends beyond the risk of criminal activity. A security system can help protect church members in the event of a weather event, accident, or fire.

How church security helps #

A security system alerts you to unusual activity, allowing you to respond more quickly and minimize the damage to church members and property. For example, religious leaders can enhance the security of their church and prevent violent incidents with an access control solution like Kisi, which grants different access levels to members. Given that most bad actors are not church members, implementing a modern access control system is a step toward a safer church community.

Modern tools for church security #

Some of the best practices in church safety and security involve advanced technologies that allow for greater oversight and control over your property. These include:

• Access control: Access control systems restrict building entries to authorized individuals and can be scheduled to allow free entry during certain times of the day.
• Video surveillance: Using cameras and surveillance software, churches can monitor who is in the building, record and review footage of criminal incidents, and use video analytics to detect suspicious activity.
• Intrusion detection: If someone enters or attempts to break into your church without permission, an intrusion detection system will instantly notify you.
• Alarms: Sensors and alarms can detect and alert you to changes in the environment, including smoke, motion, and broken glass.

With cloud technology, you can control most or all these systems remotely. You can use an app or online platform to make changes, receive alerts, and generate security reports. Saint Jude Catholic Church and School took advantage of this capability with Kisi’s access control system, which allows them to manage door entries and exits across multiple locations on a single device.

10 tips to improve the security of your church #

The best way to ensure the safety of your church and congregation is to be proactive. Following these security tips will help you get started.

1. Assign roles to church staff and volunteers #

Determining who will do what in an emergency situation prevents chaos and confusion from taking over if an incident takes place. Within your policies and procedures, outline who will lock down the building, communicate with church members, and talk to the authorities.

It’s also beneficial to identify who in the congregation could be helpful in emergency scenarios, including people with medical, law enforcement, and security training. Identifying these individuals in advance enables you to get help more quickly if an incident occurs, potentially saving human lives.

2. Create policies for preventive measures #

In addition to planning for your emergency responses, think about what steps you can take to limit the chances such an event will occur. For example, task a church member with locking side doors once service begins so no one can enter unnoticed.

In addition, ask for volunteers to monitor any unlocked doors and prevent unwelcome guests from walking in. Provide these individuals with two-way radios so they can share information quickly around the church when needed.

Another point to consider is changing your door lock system to mobile-based access control, which only allows people with proper credentials to enter once a service begins. In this way, an access control system can keep your church welcoming but secure.

3. Use clear signage #

If an emergency occurs, the ability to quickly get out of the building is crucial. Hang signs directing people to building exits so they can locate them and know where to find the closest door. When you have an especially large crowd, such as on a major holiday or gathering, point out exits at the beginning of the service. This will help prevent crowding and bottlenecks, which make it more difficult for people to leave without suffering injuries.

4. Have open discussions about security #

Be transparent about your security concerns and measures by scheduling meetings to discuss security measures. When people within the church express their opinions and concerns, they may bring up a critical point that isn’t covered in your church safety plan. Use this discussion time to decide what areas of your church security policy need improvement.

One way to identify trouble spots is to have someone point them out. Police officers, security experts, ambulance members, or fire marshals can help you understand the possible risks in your church. They can also offer ideas to solve the issues they see in order to create the safest church environment possible.

Access control is a great place to start your safety talks. If you don’t have access to someone that can advise you on the best door policy protocols or how an access control system should look like for your church, contact our security experts.

5. Train your leaders for emergency responses #

If an incident or disaster happens, you and your congregation will rely largely on emergency responders to protect and guide you—but backup never hurts. Take time to train all leaders of the church, no matter how small someone’s role may be, so they can effectively respond to bad situations. Church members naturally turn to these individuals when they’re stressed, frightened, or worried, so having them offer a calm, measured response helps ensure everyone remains calm.

6. Install a video surveillance system #

Security footage is always a good thing, even if you don’t think you’ll ever have reason to look back on it. For example, you may need to review an incident to help police identify a suspect.

A security camera system can also deter thieves and vandals from your church. Bad actors are less likely to commit a crime if they think you’re watching them. Plan to place video cameras both inside and outside your church to protect against both external and internal threats.

When installing interior cameras, place them in essential areas of your facilities to provide solid overall coverage. Aim to have cameras in these spots:

• Entrances and exits
• Longer hallways
• Offices
• The parish hall
• Event hall
• Chapel
• Gymnasiums
• Youth ministry facilities
• Daycare areas

Place exterior cameras at the exterior entries and the parking lot. Dome cameras are usually the go-to option since they are more resistant to uncertain weather conditions and potential vandalism. Finally, integrate your access control system with your cameras so you can view snapshots of unlock events or become alerted if a door is held open.

7. Test your security systems #

Implementing a reliable security system should alleviate some of your worries about its performance, but you should test it all the same. Assessing security for churches can provide insight into issues with your system infrastructure and operations that will otherwise likely go unnoticed. Put an annual, comprehensive check-up on your calendar so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle when things get busy.

In addition, periodically test individual security elements to identify and repair gaps and vulnerabilities before they trigger bigger problems. Whether it’s a fire alarm or emergency lights, test it.

8. Keep up with maintenance and updates #

The initial development and implementation of your security system is just the first stage of an ongoing process of maintenance and updates. This includes repairing physical barriers, such as windows and gates, as well as installing software updates for your video surveillance and access control systems. For easier maintenance, choose a cloud-based security system, like Kisi, that serves automated over-the-air updates.

Consistent upkeep ensures your security system functions properly. It also leads criminals to assume that everything and everyone associated with your church—inside and out—is organized, deliberate, and prepared.

9. Develop lockdown procedures #

If a dangerous situation occurs outside your church doors, a lockdown can protect and isolate the people inside. Establish procedures to lock all entrances and stop anyone from entering or exiting the building without permission or authorization.

Locking down your church can help prevent intruders from getting into the building. If someone does enter, you can lock specific doors to prevent them from inflicting greater harm.

Lockdowns aren’t just helpful to mitigating the risk of violence. Consider how these procedures could protect church members if a dangerous animal is on the loose or a hazardous material spills onto the street outside.

Comprehensive access control systems like Kisi have a lock-down feature for emergency situations. They enable system administrators to trigger and halt lock-downs remotely from their mobile devices to react aptly and timely.

10. Trust the experts #

Putting together all the elements of security in churches is often challenging, especially when dealing with several different kinds of hardware and software. You may not know everything about each part of your system, but you can reach out to someone who does.

Don’t be afraid to speak to a security expert about your questions and concerns. They have extensive training in these technologies and plans, and they can offer support to you and your church. Depending on the setup of your system, you may need to speak to more than one person. However, some providers, including Kisi, can assist you with several different aspects of your system at once.

Enhance your church security with Kisi #

When someone attends your church, they should feel relaxed and comfortable. A church security system shows them that you care about their safety and well-being, as well as their spirituality. A well-designed system will safeguard your church against violence, natural disasters, and theft.

Kisi is proud to offer a future-proof access control system ideal for churches and other places of worship. Our security platform covers various important aspects, including access control and video surveillance. Schedule a free demo to see how Kisi can help make your church a safer place.