Protect your church from surging vandalism
The damage to churches goes beyond graffiti and can mean wholesale destruction of a building. What can be done?
The Washington Post prominently featured this Denver bishop’s commentary on vandalism against churches. https://wapo.st/3CyAwQs
“‘Satan lives here.’
“These words greeted parishioners and visitors on a recent Sunday morning at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. They were spray-painted in blood-red text on the main bronze double doors, with further hateful graffiti, including swastikas, scattered across the cathedral grounds.”
To one degree or another, churches have always been targets of vandalism.
Yet for a variety of reasons, they’re increasingly being targeted by vandals – including arsonists.
Consider this 2021 report from Yahoo News:
“Houses of worship — across a variety of faiths ... are experiencing high amounts of vandalism, arson and other property damage.”
Some of the attacks are driven by anti-religious bigotry and political ideology. Some are fueled by a primal desire to destroy. And of course we’ll never know the motive for many of these crimes.
Consider this story about a historic Alabama congregation that was devastated by mindless destruction. Vandals so completely wrecked the church that services had to be canceled.
“This church used to be a beautiful home to us,” Rosa Stewart, the church clerk, told the Hartselle Enquirer. “Now it’s like walking into hell.”
The destruction included broken glass, fixtures ripped from walls, human feces, vulgar/racial graffiti and paint thrown around the building.
Photos: Morgan (Alabama) County Sheriff, Facebook
IT’S NOT JUST BUILDINGS
As you can see from the image below, the threat is not only to buildings, but to anything accessible on the property. In Richmond, Va., vandals trashed a bus owned by M3 Church. Unfortunately, according to the report, the church chose not to insure the bus for this type of damage. Trailers, storage units and recreational facilities are all vulnerable.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
As we read news reports, it’s clear many churches do nothing more than lock their doors and hope for the best. Fortunately, there are several basic tasks most congregations can undertake to get started. These can be done without a big budget. Something is always better than nothing.
PROTECTING YOUR CHURCH
Here are some suggestions that can help protect your building, other property and congregation. Again, these are just a start.
Develop a working relationship with local law enforcement. Tell them you want to protect your building and are open to their suggestions. If you ask, police may also step up patrols around your property.
Consider security cameras. If no one is monitoring the cameras, they won’t stop a crime in progress. However, they could be a deterrent to vandals and burglars and provide a source of evidence at trial.
Consider alarm systems. These range from alarms that make loud sounds to vastly more expensive options. It’s not all or nothing. If a siren sound scares off an intruder, then the alarm has done it’s job. It’s worth investigating the options.
Light it up. Make sure your building and parking lot are well lit at all times. Bad guys like darkness.
Put up a gate to close your parking lot when activities are not occurring. This makes it more difficult for someone to get near your building to cause havoc. In addition, this keeps others out of your parking lot who may become a liability.
Develop a security ministry. At minimum, this team can help keep an eye on the building and call police if something seems strange. It can also walk around the parking lot when the church is occupied, greeting and keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Note: Security teams must be professionally trained or they can do more harm than good. We recommend training from Strategos International.
Are you insured? Last, but certainly not least, make sure your property insurance is adequate to help you recover from damage to your building or vehicles. You want to be able to count on your insurance. If it’s not sufficient to pay for repairs to your structure, property and vehicles, consider upgrading. We invite you to review your policy today. Contact us.
“Last, but certainly not least, make sure your property insurance is adequate to help you recover from damage to your building or vehicles. ”
CONTACT US
Want to learn more about protecting your campus and vehicles? Or about security measures for your church? Contact us today: service@ministrypacific.com or 1.866.870.2700.