Faith-based organizations and places of worship are known for having open doors and accepting environments but, just like any other section of society, they are vulnerable to criminals.
Crimes targeting faith organization are uniquely defined in the Criminal Code as ‘Mischief Relating to Religious Property' - damage against a property that is “primarily used for religious worship, including a church, mosque, synagogue or temple, or an object associated with religious worship located in or on the grounds of such a building or structure, or a cemetery."
Hate crimes are on the rise in Canada, largely due to an increase in incidents targeting certain religious and ethno-cultural groups. In 2015, police reported 1,362 criminal incidents that were motivated by hate in Canada, 67 more than the previous year.
Faith-based organizations do a great deal of good for the communities that they serve, but, unfortunately, an act of vandalism, violence, a burglary or a fire could seriously undermine their mission of offering a peaceful and safe place to visit.
While it's easy to assume that places of worship should be safe from criminal actions, it’s simply not true and your place of worship must install a comprehensive security plan to deter potential criminals.
The best way to protect your church or place of worship from a possible crime is to monitor access to your facility, and to protect it after hours with a comprehensive security solution that is specifically designed for your property.
The importance of a security system
Criminals know that churches and places of worship in the modern world will contain valuable and high-tech items, including multimedia equipment and valuable musical instruments. It’s a sad fact, but a quick online search will show you just how many times thieves target places of worship.
A robust security plan should be set up for your place of worship, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that conventional security cameras are enough to protect your property. Your security solution should be tailor-made to the specific needs of your place of worship.
Sonitrol Western Canada specializes in creating security systems that are cost-effective and offer maximum protection for your property. Our security experts will review your property, location and needs and design a no obligatory security plan.
Verified over conventional
Places of worship generally have no security system, no safety committee, no partnership with first responders and no emergency plan in the event of a criminal event. Those that think they’re prepared, often have an out-of-date security system installed that will merely tell them a theft has happened after the crime has finished - not stop it from occurring.
Conventional systems that set of an alarm will not deter criminals. Criminals understand that once the alarm has been set off they have around 20 minutes to take what they want before the police show up - if they even bother. Sonitrol offers a difference with our verified system, and to date we have helped police make some 175,000 apprehensions.
Sonitrol Western Canada offers unique security solutions designed specifically for you. Our verified audio and video technology reduces false alarms and increases the apprehension of thieves and vandals. In fact, police dispatch at a much higher rate for Sonitrol alarms as our verification system guarantees they will catch a criminal, not just turn up to a false alarm.
In reality, churches and places of worship face the same security challenges that any other businesses or facility faces, as well as the liabilities that come along with it. Installing a comprehensive security plan will deter criminals and keep your organization safe.
Sonitrol has a program specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of religious and faith-based organizations, as well as offering a free audit of your property to learn about all your further requirements.
Contact Sonitrol Western Canada today for more information on our security solutions.
