Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 20 November 2024

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.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke Delivers Remarks on 15th Anniversary of the Enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Assistant AG Clarke highlighted recent statistics from the FBI which show that hate crimes persist and are rising. Recent incidents include:

• Nonprofit employees receiving death threats and verbal abuse because they were members of the Sikh faith.
• Property destroyed at a university center because it served Islamic students.
• Buildings set on fire, shot at, attacked, damaged or destroyed because they were Jehovah’s Witness Halls.
• People followed home from a grocery store or restaurant or gas station, robbed at gunpoint or carjacked because they were Hispanic.

Analyst Comments

Assistant AG Clarke noted that since January 2021, DOJ have charged more than 150 hate-crime defendants in more than 135 cases, obtaining more than 125 convictions. In addition, the DOJ has have improved reporting, provided training and testimony, investigated and prosecuted criminal acts of hate and educated the public and law enforcement. The establishment of the United Against Hate initiative means every U.S. Attorneys’ Office takes action to build and strengthen ties between communities and law enforcement.

CISA Publishes Venue Guide for Security Considerations

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Venue Guide for Security Considerations. CISA is committed to partnering with venue operators in mitigating the threat of targeted violence and preparing for any potential incidents. The guide serves as a broad catalog to support safe and secure day-to day operations and event management planning and execution. Applying the guide will enable venue operators to effectively identify and manage risk.

Analyst Comments

This guide aims to help venue operators enhance safety, protect assets, and create secure environments through effective security measures and best practices. The guide:

• Provides guidance for venues, such as evaluating security measures, complexity levels, costs, options, and threats mitigated by these measures. By balancing these factors, venues can create a secure environment for operators and guests.
• Recommends broadly applicable considerations for evaluating security practices, such as assessing measures and improving physical security compliance to ensure staff and visitor safety.
• Offers actionable guidance for prioritizing the most effective security practices and proactively reducing the risk of major threats.
• Provides venue operators with a tailored menu of security options, allowing them to select the most suitable and effective measures for their venue’s budget, size, location, and risk factors.