Soft targets don’t need to be “soft”: Security in churches and schools
Providing security in a house of worship takes a special type of mindset. The security staff needs to remember that the people coming in may be broken emotionally and are looking for refuge. They need to be approachable but also aware. They need to be friendly but serious. You don’t want your staff to scare off the attendees. You need to create a culture of positive protection.
Providing security for a school also needs to be addressed in such a way that it does not interfere with the learning environment. Unlike in churches you are not dealing with adults that are in emotional distress, but now you have children and adolescents who are impressionable and vulnerable. You need to always be vigilant to observe any warning signs of dangerous behavior and be there to listen to them if they need to talk. You have no idea what stress they are dealing with, it could be home or school related.
To secure a School, Church, or Theater the security plan needs to be multilayered. Security staff needs to be dedicated security staff, that should not have other duties to perform. The layers need to start from the outside and work their way in. Someone should always be assigned to the exterior of the building looking for potential threats so that they can act quickly to defuse/engage the situation or clear the situation before the threat escalates.
For additional information on the consultation services provided by Accurate Aim Firearms, please visit our security consulting page Security Consulting