WORSHIP SURVEILLANCE DETECTION

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/