WORSHIP
SURVEILLANCE DETECTION
India has
one place of worship for every 400 people, more than the countrywide spread of
educational and medical institutions put together. And it does not seem that
the pattern is going to change soon.
We often come and go from our Houses of Worship (HOW) with very little thought
about who may be watching our activities. If we have implemented basic security
precautions, we are probably comfortable in our setting. Security and worship
can be successfully blended for those who worship in your facility. No house of
worship (HOW), whether a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue is exempt from
crime, whether committed by an internal member, a stranger, or as a random act
of terrorism. On 5th September 2018 District Magistrate Srinagar, Dr Syed Abid
Rasheed Shah, has ordered for installation of CCTV cameras in and around all
prominent shrines, mosques and temples in the district.
Terrorists often gather significant pieces
of information from open sources such as Google Maps and social media postings.
They collect a lot of data about their target of interest and eventually they will
conduct physical surveillance. After collecting
initial data about the HOW, the terrorists will begin to survey the location,
trying to determine the best time and mode of attack. Terrorists may look for a
soft target that will bring instant publicity and maximize impact. A soft
target can be a facility that doesn’t lock its doors or provide any type of
security. Finding no resistance to their surveillance, they quickly realize
there will be little or no threats to their safety, allowing them easy access
in and out of the building. Depending on their plan of attack, they may send
more skilled members to collect additional information by conducting surveillance
inside and outside of the facility.
Risk
Assessment
How
do you know if someone is watching your facility? First, as a member it is
always important that you are aware of who is in the parking lot. Be aware of
any cars with people sitting in them that are in close proximity to your
facility.
Now we need to find out risk factor in terrorists’
eyes.
Red Zones:
Terrorists seek locations to position themselves in what are
referred to as red zones. These zones will normally meet the following three requirements:
1) View of the target. Terrorists want to observe
vulnerabilities so they need a good view. They will note the times of
services. They will note how many people are there at any given time, seeking
the opportunity to kill the maximum number possible with as little effort as
possible. They will observe who comes and goes from the facility and will note
the established patterns of behavior.
2) Cover and concealment. Terrorists need to be able to
apply cover and concealment tactics. While they are viewing the intended
target, they do not wish to be observed by you.
3) Safety and Exit. Terrorists do not want to be
apprehended and thus seek a safe exit which provides a quick exit, should
their presence be observed.
Green Zones
As you are
entering and exiting from your HOW, it is important that you are observant of
suspicious activities.
Following
are a few suspicious activities you might observe around your facility:
• Someone
taking notes or photos who stops abruptly when approached
• Someone
pointing at the target or casually looking around
• Circling
the block repeatedly in a taxi or vehicle.
• Car,
van, or truck parked nearby with occupants taking notes or photos.
• Circling
the block repeatedly in a taxi or vehicle.
• Drawings
or maps observed in a vacant car, van, or truck.
• Interest
in security systems/someone enters and asks about the security system
• Someone
glancing away or appearing to be nervous when approached.
• Someone
enters the facility claiming to be looking for someone, and they appear overly
interested in the physical layout of the building
The
above listed activities may or may not indicate that your location is under
surveillance. However, if observed, they should be noted and reported immediately.
Another consideration as terrorist activities increase is that if law
enforcement personnel are able to observe those conducting surveillance, it
could result in lives being saved by collecting and sharing intelligence
information. Otherwise, terrorists may move onto the next facility, which could
result in many casualties. Regardless, the decision to question those
conducting hostile surveillance or conduct additional surveillance must be
made by law enforcement or a trained security team member.
Securing Worship
This part
I divided into three (3) sections:
• Interior
security
• Exterior
security
•
Procedural and/or best practices
•
Interior security by
1.
Access Control:
Controlling
and limiting access is one of the most important steps that can be taken to
improve security. Some Worship staff and worshippers will not be comfortable
with restricting access.
•
Establish policies to maintain access control
• Limit
access to childcare, business offices, cash counting area, and media rooms.
• Always
install the latest patches and updates when prompted. This mitigates many
hacking programs that rely on outdated vulnerabilities in your software. Set
your computer to auto install updates.
• Doors
and windows should be secured when the building is vacant.
• Limit
points of access. When opening your facility, consider the event, the number of
people, and the location of the event. Limit access by only opening doors that
are close to the area being used. Do not open every door.
• Establish checkpoints based on need--and
staff accordingly. A checkpoint is an entry where all people and things are
screened based upon the security plan for the current threat environment.
• Keys for critical areas and master keys must
be especially controlled.
2.
Burglar Alarm:
•
Establish policies to maintain burglar alarm system.
• Ensure
an alarm system covers access points and key areas where expensive items are
housed.
• Use a
reliable monitoring vendor and ensure contact information remains current.
• Develop
a policy that addresses response to alarms.
• Install
panic alarms at public reception areas where employees can initiate emergency
procedures when suspicious persons approach and request access.
3.
Fire Alarm:
• Ensure adequate addressable fire alarm
coverage. The local fire department can help with determining what is needed
for your facility.
• Develop
a policy that addresses response to alarms.
4.
CCTV System:
Camera
coverage should be considered for critical areas (such as areas with children,
the business office, the clergy’s office, etc.) and access points. They can
also be focused around items that are most likely to be stolen. For places of
worship with little capital to spend, a camera with audio that can be monitored
from a cell phone may be purchased for about $250 - $2500.
• A Camera system can also serve as an alarm
system by using video analytics and integrating with access control systems.
• Cameras
should capture every door and point of entry. Additionally, cameras should be
in the infant care rooms, daycare rooms, and areas where children play/eat/etc.
• If
cameras are installed in daycare centers, inform parents and caretakers that
you would be storing digital data of their children.
• Always install
the latest patches and updates when prompted. This mitigates many hacking
programs that rely on outdated vulnerabilities in your software. Set your
computer to auto install updates.
Considering
that places of worship are often targets of attacks, crime, and other losses,
it is our belief that by auditing CCTV video footage as a standard operating
procedure, and delivering a new powerful signage that states ‘WE CHECK CCTV
EVERYDAY', far more benefits will accrue to them.
5.
Doors:
• Ideally
doors should be wood or steel with a solid frame.
• Hinge
pins should be located on the interior of door, or capped, if on the outside to
prevent easy removal.
6.
Windows:
• Ensure
that windows are secured prior to closing and latches are in working order.
• If
windows are opened for air circulation, only open windows that are monitored
and/or located where
people
cannot climb through.
Exterior
Security
Exterior
security controls encourage us to think about how best to secure the perimeter
of the church, parking lots, playground areas, and mass drop-off areas. Research
says most violent crimes at faith-based organizations, more than
70% of the acts occurred outside the building on ministry grounds or parking
lots.
• Consider
enhancing perimeter security by adding a decorative fence—whether aluminium,
board, stone, brick and/or multiple combinations thereof.
• Secure
points of entry when no events are taking place. If your facility has back
entrances and parking lots, these should be locked off.
• Remove
potential fire hazards, such as trash and debris. Keep dumpsters in a locked
dumpster pad.
• Consider
vehicle barriers and/or bollards for vulnerable entries, special events, or in
case of a terrorist threat when stand-off distance is required for vehicles.
Barriers can be as simple as strategic parking of staff vehicles or as complex
as a built-in place.
• Identify
exterior hiding places, equipment vulnerabilities, utilities entries/shutoffs,
fire department connections and hydrants. Check them for signs of activity
before any event.
• Lights
should be placed on all doors and windows. Motion detector lights should be
considered for doors and windows. Ensure all lights are in working order.
• Lights
should be on from dust to dawn. Consider lights with solar panels as this may
reduce the cost of the energy.
• Larger
facilities may need an officer to direct traffic. This will ensure timely entry
and parking. The officer(s) can patrol the parking lots during the services.
This task can also be completed by members of your “security team.” Outfit them
in high-visibility vests and radios.
• Camera
coverage is recommended for the exterior of the facility. Every area from the
entrances to the parking lots should be covered. Some cameras only record when
motion is detected, others record 24-7. Cameras can be monitored from the
inside by your security team members and remotely on hand held devices as
needed or based upon analytics,
•
"Cameras never lie". But, how will a user ever know, unless he 'sees'
what the camera 'saw'. Do audit own CCTV video footage as a standard operating
procedure, for them to achieve optimal benefits from CCTV video, which includes
(a) crime, fraud and loss prevention (b) faster solving of crime (c) risk
mitigation (d) compliance issues and continuous improvement and so on.
• Appoint a “security leader” to oversee the development and
implementation of the security plan. Schedule regular meetings to review
procedures and incidents.
• Develop a “Welcoming Committee” of individuals and/or ushers
who are trained in security detection and emergency responses.
• Conduct evacuation drills with staff and volunteers.
Attend firearms training if your committee recommends that individuals are
armed during services and special events.
"Considering
that places of Worship are often targets of attacks, crime, and other losses,
'COM-SUR', the world's only CCTV video footage auditing, smart backup, and
standardized intelligent reporting software is available for free to all
places of Worship world-over, as part of our corporate social responsibility.
Places of
Worship will need to take care of the hardware, installation, training, and so
on; which can easily be carried out by their system integrators, who will need
to be approved and trained by us. Besides a registration and training fee, a
small consulting and administration fee will be charged by COM-SUR from the
system integrator".
Resources:
Crime Prevention for Houses of Worship, 2nd edition, by
Paula L. Ratliff. Published by AISIS International, 2015.
https://www.ifsec.events/india/visit/news-and-updates/com-sur-will-be-integrated-ai-ml-technologies-offer-holistic-solutions
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/kasganj-cctv-cameras-to-be-set-up-at-worship-places-in-sensitive-areas/articleshow/62823320.cms
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2019/apr/26/police-top-brass-meets-heads-of-places-of-worship-malls-1969148.html
https://defendry.com/4-ways-to-improve-security-at-your-place-of-worship/
