In recent years, high-profile shootings and hate crimes have brought the issue of violence at houses of worship to the forefront. Sadly, the frequency of mass shootings at churches and other places of worship continues to increase. The 2017 shooting at a small church in Sutherland Springs, TX was the 14th fatal shooting at a house of worship since 2012, according to the Associated Press. These tragic events remind us that no place of worship is immune from potential attack. York, PA churches cannot afford to be naive about potential security risks.
Attackers often look for ‘soft’ or easy targets. Criminals do not want to take extra risks and will often choose to attack areas that are the most vulnerable, providing greater opportunity for them to easily inflict harm. The proactive effect of having visible security measures in place – like building access control and video surveillance – can go a long way to deter potential attackers and protect your congregation.
At Markle Security Services, we understand the unique challenges faced by York, PA houses of worship. We specialize in providing innovative security solutions that secure public and private buildings, improve overall safety, and protect congregants, clergy, and staff members.
Whether you are a small rural congregation, a large megachurch, or any size house of worship in between, Markle Security Services can provide effective, proven security solutions that help ensure the safety of people and property, while staying within your budget. Our access control and video surveillance solutions help protect your church by securing entry and exit points, and by providing continuous monitoring around the clock, along with video-based evidence should an incident occur.
Learn how we can help protect your York, PA place of worship against violent incidents, break-ins, vandalism and other security concerns. Contact us today for a church security needs assessment with one of our expert technicians.
Access control is a growing trend in physical Ssecurity and is an ideal solution for safeguarding churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship, as well as their annexes and outbuildings.
While the entrance to a house of worship may be monitored by a staff member, this provides little defense if an intended shooter gets past this initial entrance point. Access control enables a facility to go into lockdown mode and secure vulnerable access points, creating a barrier that can stop an intruder from gaining easy access to congregants.
Markle Security Services provides IP-based access control solutions that allow York, PA places of worship to restrict access during services, community events and off hours. A robust access control solution provides your staff members with card-based credentials that are required to enter and exit the building. Doors can only be opened during certain times, and only by authorized personnel. For anyone else to gain access, staff members must physically use their access badge to let them in or out.
An access control system also can be used to segment your facility and create lockdown for various zones or the entire facility. Restricting access and creating barriers buys time during a crisis, and protects occupants until emergency responders are able to arrive. First responders can be granted access with a designated proxy card through a designated lockdown door, so they can secure and clear the area and establish a safe evacuation route.
For larger York, PA places of worship, Markle Security Services offers multi-building solutions that provide 24/7 protection of building interiors, common areas, grounds, and parking garages.
Markle Security Services provides customized, remote viewable video security systems designed for worship environments of all sizes, to improve safety and simplify systems management for administrators.
Having a comprehensive video security solution that includes multi megapixel video security cameras, security DVRs to record video evidence, and posted signage provides church officials with 24/7 live and recorded surveillance, real-time alerts, and the ability to react and protect the congregation from a crisis situation.
And if your place of worship uses a vehicle fleet, Markle Security Services provides mobile surveillance solutions that enable your facility administrators to monitor church vehicles to ensure driver safety and protect passengers in transit.
Integrating video surveillance with access control provides a multi-layered approach to church security, maximizing visibility to entry/exit points and areas where people are concentrated. Desired areas can be secured and monitored remotely in real-time to ensure safety, help prevent unwanted incidents, and provide video evidence if an incident were to occur.
There are many aspects that impact the results that your video security system will deliver. Here are a few of the main things to consider:
Markle Security Services is committed to offering the highest level of security to houses of worship in
the greater York, PA area. We can create a church security solution that meets
your unique needs and specifications, while remaining within your budget.
Our
expert team has many years’ experience working with York, PA houses of worship,
providing: