Some might argue that if you’ve never experienced a theft or act of vandalism, you shouldn’t have to develop a program to prevent them. But simply because you've never had a theft or vandalism loss does not mean your church is immune to this type of loss.
Churches complacent in their crime prevention efforts are often the ones targeted by criminals. And while theft and vandalism are sometimes related to hate crimes from opportunistic external sources, all too often churches incur theft-related losses from internal sources.
Deterring theft and the potential for vandalism is simply good stewardship of the church resources entrusted to your care. This does not mean that you should adopt a fortress mind-set; rather, use it as an opportunity to expand your ministry. For example, perhaps your church keeps its sanctuary unlocked to permit church members or walk-in guests a place to pray or seek solace. Using a protective measure such as a simple alarm that sounds when someone enters or leaves the building provides an opportunity to expand your outreach by welcoming the individual into your church.
The challenge is to balance the needs of accessibility and expanding church ministry with protecting against costly losses occurring from theft and vandalism.
Theft and vandalism prevention tips
You should first determine your church's level of risk to understand the vulnerability of your church. This risk assessment can then be used as a basis for developing a church-specific strategy and obtaining the necessary funding (if needed) for such efforts.
Many communities offer free assistance through local law enforcement to create deterrents that can help protect against theft and vandalism. You should contact your local police force, using a non-emergency phone number, to request an on-site evaluation of your property and offer suggestions on how to protect your assets.
Property theft and vandalism are often crimes of opportunity. Individuals who steal or vandalize properties are looking for easy targets through overlooked, vulnerable areas of the building, such as unlocked windows or doors and dark or poorly illuminated areas of the property. Your strategy should focus on making it difficult for your church to be targeted by following a few simple tips:
- Secure all church vehicles by rolling up the windows and activating the door locks. Never leave keys or valuables, such as cell phones, computers, purses or money in plain view. Remember, if a criminal breaks into your vehicle and steals your garage door opener or keys, he or she now has easy access to the church/parsonage.
- Ask church staff and members when they leave valuables in their cars to stow them in the trunk or under a seat before arriving at their destination. Thieves watch people as they exit their cars to determine if a car is worth breaking into. Therefore, conceal mail, loose change, cell phone chargers, laptop computers and other valuables before starting up your vehicle.
- Always lock church garage doors and storage unit doors when unattended. Unattended or unlocked garages and carports provide an attractive target for thieves and vandals.
- Secure storage items and garden equipment in a locked area. These items, if left out, can be easily stolen and used to gain entry to the church.
- Lock and secure all entry doors and building windows. Make sure you have deadbolts on all entry doors and that these are used when the building is unoccupied. Be careful that these doors can be opened from the inside with thumb latches or panic hardware allowing occupants free access to the exterior of the property. Never lock exterior doors with deadbolts, chains or padlocks if the building is occupied. Check with your local fire department or city building code department to determine acceptable means for locking your church.
- Leave lights on or invest in the installation of landscape lighting that illuminates all sides of the church. Well-lit areas deter criminals from taking advantage of the cover of darkness.
- Conduct a nighttime walk-around of your property at least four times per year. This will help you evaluate lighting and visibility of your church in relation to the ongoing changes of daylight hours.
- Participate with police/citizen efforts. By joining efforts with a Neighborhood Watch and the National Night Out, your church can help combat crime in your area.
- Report suspicious or unusual activities. Church leaders should keep an eye on the surrounding neighborhood and report anything unusual occurring near your church property to your local police department.
- Make parents/guardians aware of child/teenage event times to ensure that adult supervision is provided. Youth should not be permitted to linger on church property after an event has concluded and should be supervised until they leave (or are picked up by approved adults). Church leaders need to make sure parents understand this and know the schedules of the events offered to their children.
- Evaluate the benefits of installing a burglar alarm system. Alarms may be monitored through a central station or contract security company. These companies can recommend whether your location should install a simple window and door sensor system or whether a more comprehensive system with interior motion detectors is appropriate.
- Do not ask church members to provide overnight guard service. Even when church members are willing to help protect church facilities, such activity is not advisable as this could potentially place them in harm’s way.
A theft and vandalism prevention review can be an effective means to help deter crimes against the church property. To help you get started with a theft and vandalism deterrent plan for your ministry, we’ve provided a Sample Theft and Vandalism Prevention Checklist. Use this sample as a guide in developing your own form.
Used by permission of Zurich Service Corporation. The subject matter of this publication is not tied to any specific insurance product nor will adopting these procedures insure coverage under any insurance policy. ©2008 Zurich Services Corporation.