After Monday’s mass shooting (3-27-2023), many churches again are asking themselves how to prevent similar tragedies. While each church is somewhat different, the answers are often simple and difficult. The concepts are straightforward, but the execution of those tasks requires some forethought, organization, and preparation. A very short discussion about this is below, but this is only a beginning.
The concepts are simple:
- Do not appear to be a defenseless target.
- Identify potential threats quickly– before they come into the buildings, if possible.
- Do not allow potential threats to become actual aggressors.
- Act within the Gospel of Christ always.
Execution discussions follow the concepts, by number:
- Do not appear to be a defenseless target.
a. Understand the common mindsets of mass murderers. They plan their attacks in detail and want notoriety most of all. Their common fear is failure by dying before they have murdered enough people to be notorious.
b. Do not post “gun free zone” signs. What this does is advertise that those inside the church and those in the parking lot are defenseless. This is attractive to mass killer wannabes.
c. Post cameras to watch all doors and the parking lot. A few inside may help as well. Even if these are fake or not working, the criminals will be concerned that someone may be watching, and they run a chance of discovery before they can commit a crime. Working cameras that are monitored are better.
d. Have greeters standing by the doors, preferably with radios. While a criminal may think they can overcome one greeter, they do not want the greeter calling for help before they can get “set”, or lock them out before they can get in.
e. Make sure greeters LOOK at each person and do not ignore potential threats.
f. Lock all doors that are not staffed (while preferably having someone watch them on cameras).
g. Have someone with a radio in the parking lot to direct traffic and assist people getting to the building.
h. If your church hires uniformed armed guards or off-duty police officers, make sure that it is obvious that non-uniformed people are cooperating and/or coordinating with them. There are several ways to do this. - Identify potential threats quickly– before they come into the buildings, if possible.
a. This requires training for greeters and the camera team, at least. This is available through several sources for those who research it. In short, if it doesn’t look right, it likely isn’t.
b. Evaluate potential threats for behavior, dress, bags/backpacks, umbrellas (especially if it isn’t raining), and of course what they have in their hands.
c. Train the entire security team, teachers, and others who may be able to help watch for trouble before it gets started. Good sources are listed in “Intentional Church Safety”, 2022, from Amazon.com.
d. Never assume one person is the only threat. - Do not allow potential threats to become actual aggressors.
a. This is not always easy, but it is often easier than most people expect. A true mass murderer wannabe normally has a detailed plan based on very specific expectations. If that plan is foiled before the crime starts, it may never be started. If the expectations do not match that of the immediate situation, he/she may go back and replan for today. It is often THIS factor that stops mass killings before they start.
b. Have teams or groups of responders to support the greeters. These should be adults trained and committed to responding calmly to emergencies and potential threats. Preferably these will be armed, but they must know how to use persuasion instead of force before force is required (if possible). The police will be called if needed.
c. Some church greeters use a simple radio phrase of “person in blue coat needs friends” or a similar statement to identify a potential threat individual. At that point, the responder team will have two responders attend to the potential threat as “friends”. One will stay very close to the potential threat, and one will remain a short distance away (normally behind the person). The close “friend” will make sure the person finds a good seat and sit next to them. Before and after the service, the “friend” will engage the person in conversation and get to know them. If the person shows signs of hostility or fear, this “friend” will simply accommodate the situation with de-escalation language and be respectful. This may quickly become a good time for the “friend” to witness to the person and take an opportunity to develop a real friendship with them. However, the “friend” should not back away from the person until it is absolutely established that the person is not a threat. Always, the potential threat should be accompanied until they exist the building and watched while they leave the campus. There is much more to this than discussed here, so this practice should be developed for each church.
d. Keep outer doors that are not staffed, locked and watched.
e. Always keep looking for other threats. 25% of attacks on churches involve multiple people.
f. All use of violent threats by the church members must be avoided. This includes showing someone that a team member is armed and ready to respond. When the situation is that serious, the police should be called and the team should be escorting the threat out of the building. If a person becomes a lethal threat, the responders must be ready and trained to respond quickly and appropriately. - Act within the Gospel of Christ always.
a. The mission of the church to glorify God does not change with attacks or threats against it. Each member of each team should understand this and accept it. Church security is a mission of PEACE, not police. Let the police do their job and church members do theirs. This does not prevent a church safety team from performing basic security functions, but it does focus them on prevention and witnessing first.
b. The church security/safety team should be demonstrators of respect, restraint, and humility without sacrificing resolve.
c. This may open opportunities to develop relationships with hurting people. Each safety team member should be able and ready to provide witness of their faith and the love of Jesus.
For additional information, contact Bevan Collins at Bevan.C.Collins@gmail.com or Intentional Church Safety on Facebook.