Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 18 March 2026

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.

Securing Places of Worship Against Vehicle and Active Shooter Threats

Campus Security Today  emphasizes the growing threat landscape facing houses of worship, particularly from vehicle ramming incidents and active shooter attacks. It notes that multiple recent breaches where vehicles were used to gain access to religious facilities demonstrate critical vulnerabilities in perimeter security and access control. The article advocates for a layered security approach, including physical barriers (e.g., bollards), controlled entry points, surveillance systems, and trained personnel. It also highlights the importance of conducting professional risk assessments and developing coordinated emergency response plans, especially as many religious facilities double as schools or childcare centers during the week. Ultimately, the piece underscores that preparedness, not just prevention, is essential to mitigating the impact of increasingly complex and unpredictable threats.

Analyst Comments: This article aligns closely with recent real-world incidents and reinforces a key trend: houses of worship are no longer “soft targets” by default, but many still operate with soft-target assumptions. Vehicles as weapons takes advantage of a major security gap that many smaller or community-based institutions have not fully addressed. Importantly, the overlap with schools or childcare amplifies the consequences of vehicle-based attacks. A layered defense strategy is critical, but equally important is behavioral awareness and operational planning staff recognizing threats, initiating lockdowns, and communicating quickly.

NY: Riverhead man arrested after trying to burglarize church during preschool class

A 30-year-old Riverhead man was arrested after attempting to burglarize the Presbyterian Church of the Moriches while a preschool class was in session inside the building. According to police, the incident occurred around midday when Daniel Fanuele tried to kick down a door to gain entry. He was confronted by a preschool employee and fled the scene before later being apprehended by authorities nearby. As a precaution, 19 children and two staff members sheltered in place until police arrived, and no injuries were reported. The individual has been charged with attempted burglary and was scheduled for arraignment.

Analyst Comments: This incident highlights the persistent vulnerability of houses of worship that host childcare or educational services during daytime hours. The overlap of religious facilities and preschool operations increases risk exposure, as these sites often balance openness with limited physical security measures. The quick decision to shelter in place and the presence of staff capable of recognizing and reacting to suspicious behavior likely prevented escalation. However, the event underscores the importance of layered security approaches, including access control, staff training, and coordination with local law enforcement. It also reinforces those opportunistic crimes, even without clear intent to harm occupants, can rapidly create high-risk situations when they occur in occupied, sensitive environments.

Weekly Security Sprint EP 150. Saying it out loud – talking about geopolitical events and more PSAs

The Gate 15 Security Sprint is a weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.

In this week’s Weekly Security Sprint Dave shares:

• Operation Epic Fury & Related
• Michigan Synagogue Attack
• ODU Attack 
• Cyber Threats
• Ransomware

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found at Podcasts (gate15.global).