Albany police offer security plans for houses of worship

ALBANY — The crime prevention unit of the Albany Police Department is reaching out to area houses of worship and their congregations by offering customized security plans to insure their safety.

“Security plans for businesses and residences were provided already,” said Cpl. Brian Covington with the APD. “Now we’ve prepared a guide for houses of worship, which we’ll go over with church officials and give them some suggestions on how to stay safe during their services.”

While churches, temples and synagogues are sometimes targets of burglars or vandals, Covington said the main focus of the new security surveys are to keep people safe during times of worship.

“The plans include advice and guidelines from everything from lighting, to video surveillance, to greeting people at the door, to locking doors that aren’t in use,” Covington said. “There hasn’t been anyone injured inside an Albany church or other place of worship, and this is about jumping ahead of the curve and making sure it never happens.”

According to Covington, while development of the plans was in motion before the recent murders in a church in Charleston, S.C., the tragic event shows what could happen without security preparation.

“We want to make sure (churches) are taking the necessary precautions so that no one is entering with firearms or with the intent to injure anyone,” Covington said, “and that the resources are there to contain that situation.”

To arrange for a security survey, Covington said church officials can call the Albany Police Department at (229) 431-2100 and ask for the Crime Prevention Unit.