I live in an apartment complex. We have armed neighborhood watch patrol. We have a security guard that has experience in apartment security. We have problems with car brakeins & people that don't live here causing problems. Management won't hire security, so we band together came up with our own plan. We have Two, 2 man teams & carry concealed. We don't have a uniform or anything. We look for people hanging around the property & ask them what their doing here. Then run them off if we don't like their answer. The tenents have cell numbers to call to report stuff. We didn't tell management & the first rule don't talk about fightclub. If management don't likr it, were just out for a walk we live here! Every neighbor I talked to likes the watch patrol! We ain't a church but we have faith in each other!
The major insurance companies who focus on providing church property and liability insurance coverage are now discouraging churches to avoid forming security teams. Insurance questionnaires now ask specific questions about the church security policies. At least one of those companies has elected to not provide liability coverage for churches which have organized and authorized security teams.
If the Pastor and Deacons don't want to know about, but give you a wink wink nod nod, they will disavow you in the event you are required to use force. Our church provides insurance to help protect us after required use of force. We also run through active shooter drills in the building monthly. Train the way you fight!
I have a similar issue.. I’m part of a safety team.. I’ve been a part for 2 years now and they will sometimes call me “lead” my issue is we have never had trainings of any sort.. I’ve tried to get meetings and trainings going, I am official first responder with being a nurse my background but the lack of anything has me frustrated. We have no roll call, no huddle no trainings the few that are committed just show up and do their own thing by putting on radios and randomly walking around. I have been able to implement a SOP which took 8 months to approve. I’ve also held a few cpr classes but it was primarily aimed at staff not one safety member came nor was it promoted by my lead for them to come. I have taken on responsibility to monitor aeds etc… when I came in all pads and batteries were expired.. I’ve finally been able to get them replaced ..we are a very large church with three campuses and it’s seems like when I want to initiate any trainings I’m not shut down I’m semi supported vocally but nothing ever happens
I am in this position. There is no real team. We have talked about it but it is not backed by the church staff. Pastor knows that I carry and has a couple times called on me to check something our that he sees from the pulpit but I have no real backup!
Hey AZ thanks for sharing with the community here.....you are in a bad spot for sure. Being asked to help protect the church, but it seems like not officially. I appreciate that you are there and ready to protect. That is good, but if there begins to be talk amongst members of the church to organize a security team that the leadership does not know about, I would suggest extreme caution with that concept. Here is an episode where we talk about some of this th-cam.com/video/D7CRpQXhwoA/w-d-xo.html My suggestion is to try to educate leadership and pray for opportunities to create an official security team at your church.
@@ChurchSecurityAnswers Thank you for responding!! Appreciate it! Update on my comment. After two years of this and many other reasons I decided to find another church. TWO WEEKS after I was talking to one of the members and it seems something happened in a service and now the pastor has hired a security person to lead a team. Nuff Said???
They want protection without any accountability. This is a bad situation because you don’t know if the church will have your back. Also, with an official team in place the church can purchase liability insurance.
Most congregations, the elders are older and have never seen A reason for a church to have security. I have a concealed carry permit And Insurance I will protect my family If it's official or not I cannot speak for the church I do the same thing at church that I do every day.I carry and prepare and trained
In South Carolina a church is private property and you cannot open or concealed carry without permission of the church leadership. Church leadership should address to the congregation what the policy is. Just carrying without permission is criminal.
You have the right to be secure in your person papers and personal effects as well as freedom of religion and the exercise thereof. You don't need an "official" church sponsored church security to use your Constitutional rights.
This is a timely video for me. We meet as a church on a university campus (that is a No Gun Zone), we lease space. The university has its own PD and the Chief does not want to be involved with any "Security Team" with the expectation that we will be following campus rules. We are developing a team, which is blended under hospitality. My thought is we are leaving ourself open for civil and criminal liability. Even as simple as removing a disruptive person (hands-on)... Whats your advice?
Hey America, sounds like you have a great situation there for your meeting space. Honestly, we are all open to liability when we take action. If we remove someone, or simply ask them to leave and no force necessary. In todays world, we can be liable for our action. My opinion is that is why we must train and document our actions. To do the best we can, if someone does make a claim against us.
@@ChurchSecurityAnswers Thank you for responding. Training and documenting is awesome, but, if not supported by the admin...we and our families are overexposed and in peril.
The words “official”, “security” and “team”, especially when put together as “official security team”, implies some kind of higher official authorization (other than a pastor saying “Let’s do this”), and perhaps some licensing, badging, etc. Saying “We’re an official security team” seems to imply an authorization to use deadly force where no such authorization exists, other than an individual right to self protection. “The pastor authorized us” is going to be blown away by a prosecutor in about 5 seconds. In my opinion.
JB, in our mind it is official if the church leadership knows and agrees with forming a team. Like we talk about we do not want to be involved in a secret church security team that the church leaders do not want to know about (they tell you "I don't want to know") or you organize it without telling them because they are not in favor of having a church security team, program or plan.
I live in an apartment complex. We have armed neighborhood watch patrol. We have a security guard that has experience in apartment security. We have problems with car brakeins & people that don't live here causing problems. Management won't hire security, so we band together came up with our own plan. We have Two, 2 man teams & carry concealed. We don't have a uniform or anything. We look for people hanging around the property & ask them what their doing here. Then run them off if we don't like their answer. The tenents have cell numbers to call to report stuff. We didn't tell management & the first rule don't talk about fightclub. If management don't likr it, were just out for a walk we live here! Every neighbor I talked to likes the watch patrol! We ain't a church but we have faith in each other!
The major insurance companies who focus on providing church property and liability insurance coverage are now discouraging churches to avoid forming security teams. Insurance questionnaires now ask specific questions about the church security policies. At least one of those companies has elected to not provide liability coverage for churches which have organized and authorized security teams.
If the Pastor and Deacons don't want to know about, but give you a wink wink nod nod, they will disavow you in the event you are required to use force. Our church provides insurance to help protect us after required use of force. We also run through active shooter drills in the building monthly. Train the way you fight!
Any pastor who doesn't want to know what's going on, isn't being a good steward of the position, God has placed him.
I have a similar issue.. I’m part of a safety team.. I’ve been a part for 2 years now and they will sometimes call me “lead” my issue is we have never had trainings of any sort.. I’ve tried to get meetings and trainings going, I am official first responder with being a nurse my background but the lack of anything has me frustrated. We have no roll call, no huddle no trainings the few that are committed just show up and do their own thing by putting on radios and randomly walking around. I have been able to implement a SOP which took 8 months to approve. I’ve also held a few cpr classes but it was primarily aimed at staff not one safety member came nor was it promoted by my lead for them to come. I have taken on responsibility to monitor aeds etc… when I came in all pads and batteries were expired.. I’ve finally been able to get them replaced ..we are a very large church with three campuses and it’s seems like when I want to initiate any trainings I’m not shut down I’m semi supported vocally but nothing ever happens
Thank you. Good to know as I’m helping starting our church team.
Same here.
I am in this position. There is no real team. We have talked about it but it is not backed by the church staff. Pastor knows that I carry and has a couple times called on me to check something our that he sees from the pulpit but I have no real backup!
Hey AZ thanks for sharing with the community here.....you are in a bad spot for sure. Being asked to help protect the church, but it seems like not officially. I appreciate that you are there and ready to protect. That is good, but if there begins to be talk amongst members of the church to organize a security team that the leadership does not know about, I would suggest extreme caution with that concept. Here is an episode where we talk about some of this th-cam.com/video/D7CRpQXhwoA/w-d-xo.html My suggestion is to try to educate leadership and pray for opportunities to create an official security team at your church.
I'm in that same position & do not feel comfortable about it.
@@ChurchSecurityAnswers Thank you for responding!! Appreciate it! Update on my comment. After two years of this and many other reasons I decided to find another church. TWO WEEKS after I was talking to one of the members and it seems something happened in a service and now the pastor has hired a security person to lead a team. Nuff Said???
They want protection without any accountability. This is a bad situation because you don’t know if the church will have your back. Also, with an official team in place the church can purchase liability insurance.
Valid points. Thank you.
Thanks Ken for viewing and leaving a comment!!
Some states have laws about anyone acting as Armed Security Officer.
Most congregations, the elders are older and have never seen A reason for a church to have security. I have a concealed carry permit And Insurance I will protect my family If it's official or not I cannot speak for the church I do the same thing at church that I do every day.I carry and prepare and trained
I'm in the same situation.
In South Carolina a church is private property and you cannot open or concealed carry without permission of the church leadership. Church leadership should address to the congregation what the policy is. Just carrying without permission is criminal.
What is your recommendation for security teams to be identified as such such as a name tag identifying them as such vs covert?
You have the right to be secure in your person papers and personal effects as well as freedom of religion and the exercise thereof. You don't need an "official" church sponsored church security to use your Constitutional rights.
How pitiful! You do not seem to know the difference between church & a corporation with the name CHURCH in their title!
Well said
Good foresight.
Thank you for viewing and commenting in this community!
Well old church was like that. We just carried anyway
Thanks for sharing Raven
This is a timely video for me. We meet as a church on a university campus (that is a No Gun Zone), we lease space. The university has its own PD and the Chief does not want to be involved with any "Security Team" with the expectation that we will be following campus rules. We are developing a team, which is blended under hospitality. My thought is we are leaving ourself open for civil and criminal liability. Even as simple as removing a disruptive person (hands-on)... Whats your advice?
Hey America, sounds like you have a great situation there for your meeting space. Honestly, we are all open to liability when we take action. If we remove someone, or simply ask them to leave and no force necessary. In todays world, we can be liable for our action. My opinion is that is why we must train and document our actions. To do the best we can, if someone does make a claim against us.
@@ChurchSecurityAnswers Thank you for responding. Training and documenting is awesome, but, if not supported by the admin...we and our families are overexposed and in peril.
The words “official”, “security” and “team”, especially when put together as “official security team”, implies some kind of higher official authorization (other than a pastor saying “Let’s do this”), and perhaps some licensing, badging, etc. Saying “We’re an official security team” seems to imply an authorization to use deadly force where no such authorization exists, other than an individual right to self protection. “The pastor authorized us” is going to be blown away by a prosecutor in about 5 seconds. In my opinion.
Your Bill of Rights does not stop at the church door!
What makes a team "official"?
JB, in our mind it is official if the church leadership knows and agrees with forming a team. Like we talk about we do not want to be involved in a secret church security team that the church leaders do not want to know about (they tell you "I don't want to know") or you organize it without telling them because they are not in favor of having a church security team, program or plan.