Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 21 June 2023

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against, and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

Pleasantville’s Mount Zion Baptist Church vandalized for second time in matter of weeks – 6abc Philadelphia

A New Jersey church was vandalized for the second time in a matter of weeks. A man threw rocks through a door and windows while someone was in the church office. The man continued to throw rocks, even after he was seen by a witness. Police are investigating, but the church is getting worried that this could be a pattern. Church leadership is hoping their congregation can help with upgrading its security system.

Analyst Comment:

Nationwide, attacks on churches have increased. The Christian Post reports that there were 63 church attacks in the first three months of 2023. This is the second attack on this church and if the perpetrator is not caught, the seriousness of the attacks may increase. The U.S. Fire Administration states that vandalism can progress to minor fires and then more serious fires. This church is correct to increase its security system, but they should also reduce their vulnerability.

3 Lessons for Building a Stronger School Security Culture (asisonline.org)

This report discusses three topics

1: Where Security Stands Within Education

2: Where School Security Fails

3: Look Before You Leap 

Analyst Comment:

The report explains how a one-time purchase and implementation of a technology-based solution is far too often seen as an easy way for school officials to be perceived as doing “something” in response to a high-profile incident. This can result in outcomes that are, in effect, little more than security theater. Repeatedly, we have seen that once such a solution is installed, everyone involved assumes that the school is now safe, and the job is done. Nothing could be further from the truth.

School security is an ongoing posture that a school community must adopt, not simply a set of processes or purchases. Like most efforts in education, school security is a process of continual evaluation and improvement. A related resource is CISA’s School Safety program.