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Review date: 16/12/2025
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Brief:
Anti-social behaviour has entered even what were once regarded as havens - places of worship, a tudy suggests.
Anti-social behaviour has entered even what were once regarded as havens – places of worship. These are among the findings of a study of security management in places of worship in Somerset by Nissan Moradoff, of Interphone Security Group, as part of an MSc in security management at the Scarman Centre, University of Leicester. He found that insurers – such as the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group (EIG) are major sources of security information for clergy, partly because of the financial incentives to carry out security measures such as property marking. Churches are reluctant to publicise crime at places of worship for fear of scaring away people, and crime against churches and church employees is under-reported to police, he suggested. Among the threats are organised gangs stealing valuable items nationally, a lower class of criminal stealing the church fabric such as tiles, and drug dealers using church precincts where they feel safe to operate.
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‘Open door’
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More than one in four of churches replying to the survey did not have a lock on their front door, because of an ‘open door’ policy. Insurers EIG welcome the ‘open door’ while recommending an inner ‘fortress’ room for valuables. Many clergy report they are resigned to crime as a risk that comes with their job.
Conclusions
Published figures from major insurance companies suggests that one in four places of worship is affected by crime each year – and there may be under-reporting: "As if to compound the problem, risk management techniques and procedures employed at places of worship do not appear to be extensive or commensurate with the threat and there is scope for wider implementation of crime reduction strategies, particularly those involving situational crime prevention techniques. However, in addition to resorting to basic practical measures, there is some evidence to suggest that many clergy are unaware of the vulnerability of their place of worship or their own personal safety within that environment … However there are indications that church leaders are open to fresh ideas, albeit at a pace they are comfortable with. The suggestion that the clergy and the church leadership are wilfully blind to security management and risk reduction techniques has not been borne out by the findings of the study. There are also strong indications that insurance companies could have a larger role to play in raising awareness, disseminating information and becoming prime movers in any security initiative."
