"In the first quarter alone churches have experienced 367 crimes, including 16 acts of violence resulting in four deaths," states church security expert
CINCINNATI, April 5 /
Christian Newswire/ -- On Easter Sunday in a small church in Montgomery, Alabama children went out for an Easter egg hunt when a male offender attempted to abduct a 10-year-old girl; he almost succeeded. In Sacramento, California two men walked into a packed Sunday service and walked out with about $15,000 in offerings.
"We put out an advisory months ago stating that churches should take extra precautions over the Easter holiday because more people brings more opportunities for criminals," stated Jeff Hawkins, executive director of the
Christian Security Network (CSN).
CSN published a report this January for 2009 of crimes against Christian churches and is now releasing preliminary statistics on crimes against Christian organizations for the first quarter of 2010.
"We know our estimates are conservative, but even looking at the preliminary numbers we are talking over 350 crimes and over $4 million in property losses, not to mention the tragic loss of four lives in just three months. We were happy to see the child in Alabama escape her abductor or we might have talking about another terrible incident," Hawkins goes on to state.
Churches have generally not taken the same security and emergency planning precautions that many other organizations undertake. A survey in 2008 showed over 75% of churches did not have security measures in place.
"I am not sure what it is going to take for Christian church leaders to wake up and start becoming serious about keeping their congregation secure. We are talking about the lives and safety of our children," Hawkins concluded.
Jeffrey A. Hawkins is available for interviews on this topic by telephone or Skype. He is a 30-year veteran of law enforcement and security and formerly chief security officer for an international Christian ministry. He is frequently quoted in Christian and secular media.
The Christian Security Network is a national organization dedicated to the advancement of security, safety and emergency planning for Christian churches, schools, ministries and missionaries.
