Protecting Houses of Worship: How PDK Secures Religious Facilities

Religious facilities play a vital role in many communities. They serve as places of worship as well as gathering points and spaces for community engagement. The open and welcome attitude of many religious institutions makes them uniquely vulnerable to many physical security threats. In recent years, religious facilities across the world have faced a rising tide of security concerns, ranging from acts of violence and vandalism to theft and arson.

While no two religious facilities are exactly alike, they are united in

their need to protect people, property, and peace.

That’s where a comprehensive security solution like ProdataKey (PDK) comes in. This white paper explores the many threats faced by religious facilities today and offers detailed insights into how PDK can help address these issues. 

Security Threats Faced by Religious Facilities

Houses of worship are built to be open, welcoming spaces. But often, that openness can introduce vulnerabilities. Religious institutions across the world face an evolving range of security threats that challenge their ability to keep congregants, staff, and property safe. Understanding the nature of these risks is the first step towards building an effective security strategy for any religious space. 

Acts of Violence

Unfortunately, religious institutions have increasingly become targets for acts of violence, including hate crimes, active shooter events, and domestic disputes. Incidents of violence at houses of worship often happen with little warning and can result in devastating consequences. These attacks can range from physical assault and armed intrusion to mass casualty events, like the Sutherland Springs shooting in 2017, resulting in 26 casualties and 22 individuals wounded.

The FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) data tool reveals an upward trend in the number of aggravated assault incidents that took place at houses of worship in the United States. Looking at the last five years of available data, there was a steady increase in aggravated assault incidents, rising from 512 in 2019 to 992 in 2023. 

These numbers indicate that aggravated assault and violent attacks have been, and will likely continue to be, consistently on the rise throughout the United States. As a result, religious institutions need to be able to address these threats and put the proper security systems in place to protect the lives of anyone that enters their space.

Property Damage

Alongside acts of violence against staff and visitors in houses of worship, religious facilities also face various threats against the physical space itself. Vandalism, arson, and other forms of property damage and destruction are common threats faced by religious facilities today. Data from the FBI CDE reveals an upward trend of both arson and destruction of property in the last five years.

Interestingly, the most recent data on arson and other forms of property damage reflects a slight decrease in frequency beginning in 2023. The CDE data shows that in 2023 the number of property damage incidents decreased by 331, while arson incidents decreased by 78. This suggests that, while threats to the physical property of a religious facility are still a significant issue, threats that specifically intend to incite violence and cause bodily harm in houses of worship remain a larger concern for security integrators today.

What to Consider When Securing Religious Facilities

In order to deal with the variable threats that religious facilities face on a daily basis, security integrators need to understand how to secure houses of worship from all angles. The United States’ Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) suggests that religious facilities structure their security systems around three perimeters: inner, middle, and outer. 

This layered approach is essential for balancing a religious facility’s open and welcoming mission with the very real need for protection. While security in these three areas is united in a shared goal of protecting life and property, the actual methods of securing each perimeter differ in order to address varying threats.

Inner Perimeter

The inner perimeter refers to the most critical and frequently used areas inside a religious facility–spaces like private meeting areas, worship or prayer halls, administrative offices, classrooms, storage rooms, and more. Access must be safely controlled to spaces such as these that are home to important resources or see frequent use by congregants.

Access control is the foundation of inner perimeter security. A proper access control system allows administrators to determine who can enter certain rooms, when they can enter, and how access is granted in the first place. By implementing clear access policies and reliable systems, integrators can help ensure that only authorized individuals have entry to restricted spaces.

CISA also suggests that houses of worship should have at least one shelter-in-place room available within the inner perimeter. This space provides a safe location for individuals to gather during emergencies. These rooms should be properly equipped with fortified walls, secure locks, and emergency supplies like water and first aid kits.

Middle Perimeter

The middle perimeter refers to the transitional area outside of the main building, but still on the property. This includes walkways, entry halls, outdoor areas, and gathering spaces near entrances. These areas are typically where the most foot traffic occurs.

Similar to the interior perimeter, access control is an essential instrument for securing this perimeter. Carefully controlled entry points allow religious facilities to keep out unwanted guests and protect congregants while inside. Paired with access control, electronic doorbells or intercoms are one of the simplest yet most effective tools for managing access at this level. This technology allows staff or volunteers to verify a visitor’s identity before allowing entry. Video intercoms in particular allow for an added layer of visual confirmation, making it easier to screen unexpected guests. 

Additionally, emergency communication systems are vital in the middle perimeter. Houses of worship should have the ability to quickly disseminate information during an emergency. CISA asserts that religious facilities should have public notifications systems that are audible throughout the entire campus, rather than just within the inner perimeter.

Outer Perimeter

The outer perimeter includes surface parking and any constructions along the property border. As the first line of defense, security in this perimeter is all about detection and early intervention.

Surveillance is an essential tool for outer perimeter security. Not only can visible security cameras discourage dangerous behavior, but any recorded footage serves as a critical tool for reviewing incidents after they occur. Cameras should be strategically placed to monitor entry points, parking lots, and any high-traffic pathways.

Access control can also be established on entry points along the property border, such as gates leading into parking lots. By limiting access to approved guests or staff, or strictly opening gate entrances on a scheduled basis, religious facilities can significantly reduce the threat of unwanted visitors on the premises.

How PDK Keeps Religious Facilities Safe

Religious facilities are vital community hubs, welcoming a wide range of people on a daily basis.  ProdataKey’s cloud-based access control solutions allow religious spaces to secure their facilities without disrupting daily rhythms of prayer, service, and community engagement.

From mobile-first access permissions to emergency lockdown capabilities, PDK ensures that religious spaces stay open, safe, and sacred.

Reliable Door Access

At the foundation of PDK’s platform is reliable door access. ProdataKey’s cloud-based access control allows administrators to set access permissions with ease, defining who can enter which doors and when. This ensures that access is limited to authorized individuals only. Staff and trusted volunteers can be given credentials to access relevant areas, like offices or storage rooms, while guests or outside service providers can only enter spaces that are available for public access. 

Religious facilities can also take advantage of auto open schedules, programmable in PDK.io.

This scheduling feature allows specific doors to automatically unlock during designated times, like during services or community events. This removes the need for manual unlocking while maintaining clear boundaries and reducing opportunities for unauthorized entry.

Customizable Groups

One of PDK’s most powerful features is the ability to create customized user Groups within the PDK.io platform. This allows system administrators and managers to easily account for the different personas using the space. This is particularly useful for religious institutions, which are often shared by many different groups throughout the week, each with unique access needs.

Administrators can create groups for office staff, cleaning crews, musicians, ministry leaders, and more. These groups can then be assigned specific access levels and schedules tailored to their function in the building. For example, Foothills Church, a tight-knit community in the heart of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, uses ProdataKey’s Groups feature to oversee access to cleaning crews, meeting groups, and various ministries. 

The Groups function ensures that each person has exactly the access they need, helping facilities maintain both efficiency and accountability at all times. 

System Lockdowns

Whether responding to a suspicious individual or an active threat, religious facilities must be able to act fast. ProdataKey makes it easy to initiate system lockdowns in these moments of need.

A PDK lockdown can be initiated in a number of ways, including:

• Inputting a duress PIN on a keypad reader

• Multiswiping a credential

• Pushing a physical panic button

• Activation through the mobile app

Additionally, through partnerships with systems like Centegix and InformaCast by Singlewire, ProdataKey allows religious facilities to initiate detailed emergency response plans in seconds. In the event of an emergency, an integrated PDK system allows administrators to lock all doors, restrict movement, send alerts to staff and congregants, and notify emergency responders–all from a single interface.

Mobile Credentials

ProdataKey specializes in creating an access control solution that is uniquely mobile-first, in terms of access management and day-to-day operations. PDK’s mobile credentials offer a highly secure and encrypted method of entry while adding unmatched convenience.

Regarded as the most convenient credential option by 68% of PDK dealers, mobile credentials offer an access experience that elevates security without compromising on ease of use. 

With mobile credentials, users can easily unlock doors using their personal mobile devices–no need to keep track of physical credentials or keys that could be easily duplicated, lost, or stolen.  Additionally, if a guest speaker or contractor needs one-time access, administrators can issue a mobile credential that works for just a few hours, or only on specific doors. These credentials can be issued anytime, anywhere, and from any device–making access management easier than ever.

Systems that Last

A key advantage of a cloud-based system like ProdataKey is its ability to grow and adapt over time. Unlike traditional security setups that require costly updates or manual maintenance, PDK devices receive automatic software updates, ensuring that the system is always equipped with the latest features, patches, and integrations.

This makes for systems that only get better with time. With these automatic software updates, religious institutions can rest assured that their system is equipped to handle security threats as they continue to evolve and change. For houses of worship that want long-term peace of mind without constantly reinvesting in new infrastructure, this is an invaluable benefit. 

Gaining a Comprehensive View of Physical Security

Alongside the various benefits of ProdataKey’s advanced cloud-based and mobile-first solutions, religious facilities benefit greatly from the pairing of PDK’s access control with various video-based tools. In particular, PDK integrates with a variety of video surveillance and video intercom tools that empower leaders at houses of worship to gain a comprehensive view of their space at all times.

Video Surveillance

Video management systems (VMS) introduce an added layer of visibility and reactive security to any access control system, and 49% of PDK dealers identify video surveillance as their favorite type of integration. Surveillance technologies are especially useful for monitoring areas in the outer perimeter of religious facilities, like parking lots and entrance points. Combined with access control logs, video surveillance integrations add a valuable layer of context and accountability, allowing for faster response times and more thorough investigations when incidents occur. 

Integrating access control and camera systems allows users to not only get a visual of what’s happening in their system, but they can also cross-check these visual indicators with access events and records in PDK.io. By combining these reactive and proactive approaches to security, an access control system integrated with VMS allows houses of worship to keep a protective eye on visitors and staff at all times. ProdataKey integrates with a large number of VMS providers, giving system managers the option to pick the camera system that works best for their religious facilities.

Video Intercoms

Video intercom integrations enable religious facilities to screen visitors before granting entry, a critical feature for institutions that value openness but also need to prevent unauthorized access.

Whether installed at main entrances or service doors, integrated video intercoms allow staff to visually confirm a person’s identity and communicate directly with them before remotely unlocking any doors.

Keeping Religious Facilities Sacred: The Promise of PDK

ProdataKey offers a powerful, intuitive access control solution that helps religious leaders to navigate the critical balance between community openness and reliable protection. With mobile-first features, automatic updates, intuitive management tools, and an expansive list of integrations, PDK helps houses of worship stay safe and sound at all times, no matter the circumstances.

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Download PDK Protecting Houses of Worship White Paper

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About ProdataKey (PDK)

ProdataKey (PDK) is a team of security integrators with decades of hands-on, in-the-field experience. PDK believes that the best technology is created by professionals who know what it takes to secure a facility properly and provide the end-user with a solution that instills confidence and safety.

PDK is passionate about creating technology to enhance the security, safety, and overall experience of both the professionals installing electronic access control and those that live with and use the system. PDK continues to create technology every day to enhance its products and the products of its technology partners.

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