As incidents of violence and threats within houses of worship become more prominent across the country, the safety and security of the faithful is a concern of the Archdiocese. Each person who visits our parishes should be able to pray, attend Liturgies, and conduct other activities in a safe and secure environment. Parishes should take precautions to minimize the risk from those who intend to inflict harm. Because the requirements for security and safety vary so much from one location to another, the purpose of this page is to provide resources that allow for communities to address preventative measures most suitable for their conditions.

Parish Safety and Security Resources

The goal of this document is to have a tool that examines potential security risks for parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver and provide recommendations on what can be done to minimize those risks. The checklist has been tailored to make the best use of the various conditions and situations surrounding the parishes, whether it be a small mission parish in an isolated area or a large parish in Denver Metro. Based on the completion of the checklist, Pastors should have a good idea of what is needed to enhance security for their particular needs. Keep in mind, that some questions may or may not apply to the parish being evaluated.

Various deacons with law enforcement backgrounds are available to offer a free consultation to parishes. Send us a request and we will connect you with one of them.

PARISH SECURITY

Considerations


Information Gathering

Include the following: Crime trends in area. Past and recent event threats to Parish property, parishioners, employees, students and/or school, and enhancements to ‘target harden’ Parish. What systems are in place currently.


Needs Assessment

Identify important needs and relative costs; Where can the parish strengthen safety – physically, visually, electronically; Who is affected and when; What plans/practices are in place and do they work; How can you optimize safety and security currently.


Prioritize Needs

Based on the needs and their dependencies, prioritize what can and should be implemented with anticipated time-frames and participants. Parish, Financial Councils, and ministries can be a benefit for input and assistance.


Leverage Partnerships

Identify neighboring business, groups, Archdiocesan ministries and city agencies that can provide potential services, collaboration with information sharing and training. This can be a great way to evangelize.


Archdiocesan Guidance

This is a good time to review applicable AoD Guidelines and Pastoral Handbook on drafted proposals (Plans), for additional assistance.


Implement Plans

Insure plan information training, notification of affected groups within and without your Parish, and roles and responsibilities.


Review, Re-assess, Redirect

All plans and operations should be reviewed by affected leaders and participants regularly. They may or may not need modification, however re-assessments are needed to optimize safety and security.

"Worship Without Worry" by Tina Lewis Rowe

Tina Lewis Rowe spent twenty-five years with the Denver Police Department, from patrol officer to Captain. She also spent eight years as the Presidential appointed United States Marshal for Colorado.

As the United States Marshal, she was responsible for the plans and processes related to security for the Oklahoma City bombing trials which were held in Denver. Those trials, as well as other aspects of the work with the United States Marshals Service and the Department of Justice, provided invaluable experiences that are often used to illustrate key points in training.

Her church security paper “Worship Without Worry” has been downloaded over 60,000 times. Tina shares her best practice on worship safety drawing from her years of experience.

Download ResourceDownload Summary PDF

Download Security Checklist

The goal of this document is to have a tool that examines potential security risks for parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver and provide recommendations on what can be done to minimize those risks. The checklist has been tailored to make the best use of the various conditions and situations surrounding the parishes, whether it be a small mission parish in an isolated area or a large parish in Denver Metro. Based on the completion of the checklist, Pastors should have a good idea of what is needed to enhance security for their particular needs. Keep in mind, some questions may or may not apply to the parish being evaluated.

Various deacons with law enforcement backgrounds are available to offer free consultation to parishes. Send us a request and we will connect you with one of them.

Security Checklist

Parish Safety and Security Resources

Additional Parish Safety and Security Resources

Note: This is an incomplete list on an expansive topic. It is meant to serve as a starting point for familiarity and research on the topic and should be used for informational purposes only. The resources included in this list does not express or imply any type of endorsement or recommendation by the Archdiocese of Denver.