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NSI
Safety for Faith-Based Events
and Houses of Worship
Domestic and international
terrorism plots did not end with
9/11—in fact, they continue to threaten
the United States, its citizens, and its
critical infrastructure. Informed and alert
community members play an important
role in keeping our nation safe; this role
includes the reporting of suspicious
activity to law enforcement to assist in the
prevention and investigation of criminal
activity, including terrorism.
The Nationwide Suspicious
Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative
(NSI)—a collaborative effort by the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
and state, local, tribal, and territorial law
enforcement partners—was established
to create a national capacity for gathering,
documenting, processing, analyzing, and
sharing SAR information. This approach
includes participation by citizens and
community members, as the prevention of
terrorism and other crimes takes everyone’s
involvement.
The NSI is founded on the protection of
privacy and civil liberties of all persons.
This foundation is designed to assure
community members that all information
reported to law enforcement is vetted and
analyzed by trained professionals to ensure
that only information that is reasonably
indicative of terrorism activity is shared.
The NSI is committed to partnering with faith-based
communities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to terrorists. Faith-based
events and houses of worship, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques, are
inherently welcoming, with open access and publicly announced schedules for
religious services and special events; however, this welcoming nature can pose
risks. An open environment where a signicant number of people of the same
faith congregate regularly at specied times to worship, study, celebrate special
events, commemorate days of signicance, and host public gatherings presents
unique security challenges. Members of the nation’s faith-based organizations
and houses of worship can take steps to proactively reduce risks and provide
safe, secure, and resilient places of worship and faith-based gatherings. The NSI
is a standardized process—including stakeholder outreach, privacy protections,
training, and facilitation of technology—for identifying and reporting suspicious
activity in jurisdictions across the country and also serves as the unied focal point
for sharing SAR information.
The NSI and its partner agencies will engage the faith-based community in an
eort to bolster emergency preparedness eorts and to foster best practices
to keep faith-based events and houses of worship safe. Informed, alert
communities—including clergy, lay leaders, congregants, and visitors to places of
worship—play a critical role in keeping our nation safe.
DHS’s “If You See Something, Say Something™”
campaign is an effective program to raise public awareness
of indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime and to
emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to
the proper local law enforcement authorities. The campaign
has also initiated partnerships with faith-based organizations
to help engage religious leaders and congregants with the message of vigilance
in identifying and reporting indicators of terrorism and other threats. Both the
“If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign and the NSI underscore the
concept that homeland security begins with hometown security, where an alert
public plays a critical role in keeping our nation safe.
Resources
Safety for Faith-Based Events and Houses of Worship
Resources for Security Personnel,
Law Enforcement, and First Responders
SAR Training for Hometown Security Partners
https://nsi.ncirc.gov/training_online.aspx
“If You See Something, Say Something™” Campaign
https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something
DHS Active Shooter Preparedness
https://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness
NSI Resources
https://nsi.ncirc.gov/resources.aspx
FBI Resources for Law Enforcement, Businesses, Victim
Assistance, and Parents
https://www.fbi.gov/resources
Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN)
Contact [email protected] to obtain a username and a
password that will allow access to several tools, including a
webinar entitled “The Evolving Threat: What You Can Do.”
http://www.dhs.gov/les/programs/gc_1156888108137.shtm
Additional Resources
Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans
for Houses of Worship
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/les/publications/Developing_EOPs_
for_Houses_of_Worship_FINAL.PDF
Resources to Protect Your House of Worship
https://www.fema.gov/faith-resources
Protecting Houses of Worship Event Resource Guide
https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=790107
Safeguarding Houses of Worship
https://www.justnet.org/resources/Houses_of_Worship.html
Praise & Preparedness Initiative
http://www.praise.ga.gov/
Houses of Worship Security Practices Guide
https://www.illinois.gov/ready/plan/Documents/DHS_Houses_of_
Worship_Security_Practices_Guide.pdf
DHS Community Engagement, Outreach, and Training Resources
http://www.dhs.gov/community-outreach-and-training
PROTECTING HOUSES OF WORSHIP
EVENT RESOURCE GUIDE
Prepared by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Col orado
January 2016
Guide for Developing High-
Quality Emergency Operations
Plans for Houses of Worship
June 2013
nsi.ncirc.gov
nsi.ncirc.gov
DHS.gov
DHS.gov
FBI.gov
FBI.gov
PROTECTING HOUSES OF WORSHIP
EVENT RESOURCE GUIDE
Prepared by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Col orado
January 2016
Additional Resources
(continued)
Protective Security Advisors, DHS Infrastructure Protection
http://w
ww.dhs.gov/les/programs/gc_1265310793722.shtm
FEMA Management Institute Training Resources
http://www.training.fema.gov/EMI
FEMA Guide for All-Hazards Emergency Operations Planning
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/plan/slg101.pdf
Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1828-25045-0014/cpg_101_
comprehensive_preparedness_guide_developing_and_maintaining_emergency_
operations_plans_2010.pdf
Community Preparation Through the Hometown Security Program
https://www.dhs.gov/hometown-security
DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Community Engagement Section
http://www.dhs.gov/crcl
U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service
http://www.justice.gov/crs/index.html
FBI, Information on Hate Crimes
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/hate_crimes/
November 2010
Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101
Version 2.0
Developing and Maintaining
Emergency Operations Plans
Issued 04/2017
Safety for Faith-Based Events and Houses of Worship
Resources
Nonprofit/Private
Sector Resources
Secure Community Network
https://scnus.org/institutional-security
Christian Emergency Network
http://www.christianemergencynetwork.org/
National Disaster Interfaiths Network
http://www.n-din.org/
Active Shooter in a House of Worship
http://www.n-din.org/ndin_resources/tipsheets_v1208/07_NDIN_TS_
ActiveShooter.pdf
Recommended Best Practices for Securing Houses of Worship
https://www.asisonline.org/About-ASIS/Documents/SecuringHOWs.pdf
ASIS International
https://www.asisonline.org/Membership/Member-Center/Security-
Spotlight/Pages/Security-for-Houses-of-Worship.aspx
Cultural Properties Council
Recommended Best Practices for
Securing Houses of Worship
ASIS Cultural Properties Council
Presented by the Houses of Worship Committee
for people of all faiths
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