The United States is in a difficult landscape where the freedom to worship and practice any religion openly is being suppressed by the criminal and the violent. A quick glance at the news headlines from recent years reveals a harrowing timeline in which house of worship attacks are occurring more frequently than past decades. There have been more than a dozen fatal house of worship shootings since 2012, and many more attacks that caused injury, or attacks that were suspected and prevented before they could be carried out. One of the worst mass shootings in America’s history occurred just in November 2017 in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where a gunman killed 26 people and wounded 20 others.
The stark reality of the situation means that more and more house of worship leaders are thinking about their teachings and sermons second and the safety of their practitioners and worshipers first. While some houses of worship are turning to volunteers to “keep an eye out” for suspicious individuals during house gatherings, this is only a first step and, ultimately, an insufficient one. In order to be prepared for an armed gunman attack, houses of worship need to be organized with legitimate security measures, just as any other public place or business must be. This realization has spurred many houses of worship to start looking into private security details to help protect them and their worshipers during peak hours and services.
Does My House of Worship Need Armed Security?
This is not a question that is easy to answer. But the safe answer is ‘yes.’ The odds of your house of worship being targeted by an armed gunman are statistically low, but being on the unfavorable end of those odds becomes all the worse if your house of worship is unprepared. In the middle of all the upsetting stories of house of worship attacks, there are some glimmers of hope and heroism, in which an armed security personnel or worshiper was able to save lives and stop the attack early through counteraction. Ever second counts in a situation so dangerous. Simply put, it is always better to protect your worshipers from a threat, even if you can’t foresee it ever manifesting into actuality.
How to Prepare & Protect Your House of Worship
You should create a safety plan with the leads of your house of worship. This plan should detail escape routes and general crisis response habits that keep people safe. Share this plan among your worshipers once you have it finalized.
Next, you need to start taking security seriously. Volunteer guards are better than no one posted out front, but it may be unfair or unwise to ask a volunteer to put themselves in such a hazardous and important role. When it comes to preserving your health, rely on professionals. After all, you wouldn’t let an untrained surgeon perform a medical procedure on you, so why would you let untrained security watch over you as you worship?
Connect with Capital Protection & Investigations for House of Worship Security
Individuals, businesses, and houses of worship alike in Sarasota have all come to see Capital Protection & Investigations as the go-to name in private security detail. Founded and managed by former NYPD Officer Michael Frassetti, our team knows protection, security, firearm control, and threat response like few others in Florida can claim.
All of the armed guards we work with are retired law enforcement officers, too. We all prioritize your safety, and each guard goes through extensive, professional training with frequent refinement. But we also know the importance of presenting upscale security to worshipers to give them a real peace of mind, as well as presenting ourselves discreetly as to not interrupt your services.
Our sworn duties to protect the free people of America did not end when we retired from law enforcement. It would be our true honor to be able to protect your house of worship so that you may focus on your spirituality in peace, just like everyone in this great country deserves.
Call us at (888) 364-6185 to schedule a free and confidential consultation about house of worship protection services in Sarasota and the surrounding area. We look forward to working with you to determine the best security protocols for your house of worship.