AssessmentS

One of the first steps to determining what your church needs is to assess those needs. Another very important assessment, it how to react to a specific threat. Both are risk assessments - one is a threat assessment, and the other is a vulnerability assessment. Your local law enforcement agency might have their own terminology for both

Defining and mitigating risk is important. Risk affects much of our lives.

  • Examples
    • Seat belts, locked doors, hiding valuables in trunk, learning CPR, situational awareness
  • Risk regularity (probability, frequency), impact (effects), options, cost/benefit
  • Potential risks in a church
    • Theft, embezzlement, robbery, vandalism, child abuse, clergy misconduct, assault, active shooter

Threat Assessment

  • Prevent targeted violence
    • Targeted violence is the end result of an understandable process of thinking and behavior
  • Specific to a person or situation
    • Domestic Violence in a Congregation
    • Report of Suspicious Activity
      • Pre-Attack Indicators Present
    • Based on an interaction
      • Individual
      • Situation
      • Setting
      • Target
  • Facts-based
    • Not characteristics
    • Not traits
  • Multi-Disciplinary
    • Integrated and inter-agency
    • Skeptical mindset needed
  • Awareness training
    • Behaviors to be reported
    • Establish trust to receive reports
  • Does this person pose a threat?
    • Not "did this person make a threat?"
  • The team needs to be identified before a threat comes to your attention, with the process already established.
  • Is a group you welcome into your building being targeted for violence due to recent or ongoing activities?

Vulnerability Assessment

  • Identify general vulnerabilities
  • First step to planning
  • Based on environment and activities, not persons
  • Determine risk regularity
    • Probability
    • Frequency
  • Impact (possible effects)
  • Identifies priorities for limited time and resources
  • Impossible to completely eliminate risks, but they can be managed
    • Target hardening of environment
      • Physical
      • Systems
  • Environmental design
    • Perimeter
    • Building exterior
    • Video surveillance
    • Visitor control
    • Interior rooms
  • Technology/Networking
  • Emergency notifications
  • Alarms
  • System specific
    • Financial controls
      • Custody, authorization, execution, and monitoring
    • Staff and background checks
    • Child care centers
    • Shared uses of building