Protecting Houses of Worship

A house of worship should be a safe haven—a place of peace. Yet, as we saw yet again last week with the shooting at the synagogue in Poway, it can turn into a place of unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to the victims of the shooting and their families. Access Control Security is donating $300 to the GoFundMe account set up to help the victims.

At ACS, we're often asked to provide security at churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. Ninety-nine percent of the time, worshipers come, express their faith and leave safely. Because services and events are overwhelmingly peaceful, it's hard to imagine acts of violence can occur—yet they do. To help prevent tragedies from happening:

--Have a security expert evaluate your property and offer security suggestions.

--Train staff and directors on how to respond in case of an emergency.

--Consider positioning security guards on the property during services or special events.

--Not all criminal behavior is violent. Add visible security cameras around the property. Video feeds can be monitored 24/7 to catch trespassers and vandals in the act so authorities can be called immediately.

For more safety tips, go to https//www.AccessControlSecurity.com.