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Safety & Security

It is fantastic that so many of Cumbria's chuches have unlocked doors so that anybody can visit and enjoy the beauty and tranquility our churches offer in both rural and urban settings. The tips below are designed to help ensure safety for those who work and volunteer in the church and for the building and its contents, and to encourage others to open their doors. See below also for information on metal and fuel theft.

CTfC tips

For open chuches

  • Statistics show that an open and busy church is a safer church.
  • Many churches that are closed cite the lack of volunteers as a reason, however, you don't need a steward in the church at all times and some churches now have doors which are set on an automatic timer - see our case studies here.
  • Remember that some of the suggestions below may require permission/faculty.
  • Inform your congregation and neighbours when the church will be open and ask them to phone the police or an appointed person(s) if they see anything suspicious happening. Members can share a pay-as-you-go mobile ‘phone for this purpose and have the number on the notice board outside the church or print it on free calling cards for neighbours.
  • Engage with your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
  • Keep the church and grounds visible and well cared for so that people can spot problems happening, for instance prune trees where appropriate and put a security light at the main door.
  • Remove the objects which might help potential thieves in or onto the building e.g. ladders, wheelie bins (chain them down if possible) and keep the shed locked.

For internal security

  • Have a secure place e.g. a locked vestry/safe for storing valuables.
  • Ensure that your safe is locked and bolted down.
  • Remove obvious saleable items e.g. brass candlesticks and replace with wooden ones outside service hours, and/or
  • Consider alpha-dotting valuable portable items, and alarm and secure any larger items such as chairs if they are valuable.
  • Ensure all items are recorded, photographed and marked and that your reference document is kept away from the church.
  • If donations in your money box are quite a significant part of your income, consider alarming the box or putting a very cheap lock on it which may act as a deterrent but won't cost much if broken into. Because damage to wall money boxes can be quite costly, consider a secure table box instead or other ways of asking for donations such as envelopes or donating by text message.
  • Audible alarms are more useful in unnerving an intruder rather than alerting others. Movement detector alarms send text messages to keyholders informing them that e.g. the vestry door has been opened. You can see the intruder and even talk to them. These are relatively cheap, under £100. CCTV is also an option but much more expensive; your crime reduction officer will be able to advise on various systems.

For personal safety

  • Try not to work alone.
  • If working alone, carry a personal alarm or mobile ‘phone.
  • Consider using a door chain if concerned about safety when alone.
  • If someone makes you feel uncomfortable: Be calm but firm. Never give money but offer help in other ways such as useful contacts.  Keep your physical distance - at least an arm's length.  Use diversion tactics such as offering to make a cup of coffee.  Be prepared to walk away, e.g. say that you'll find someone who can help, then leave the church and contact a friend/fellow member.

Metal theft is a common crime facing Cumbria's churches today and unfortunately its damage to buildings and congregations' morale can be far-reaching. Claims for lead theft in the UK to Ecclesiastical Insurance Group (EIG) rose from 10 (totalling £18,000) to 1,763 (a cost of £3 million). EIG  have now capped their payments to £5,000 but average claims are £40,000 (including for repairs) leaving a significant shortfall for the church.

English Heritage have produced new guidance (September 2011) on alernative metals.

Summary of CTfC tips:

  • Inform your local community when workmen will be carrying out work at the church or re-fuelling the oil tank and ask them to ring the police if they see people loitering at other times.  If they don't feel comfortable calling the police, ask them to call a designated person(s).
  • SmartWater - forensic water which is applied to metal work or valuable portable items to uniquely identify your property. It helps with insurance claims and has led to successful convictions. For those churches which are insured with EIG, it is part of their policy that you must apply and register SmartWater and display SmartWater posters. Failure to do so will reduce your claim by 50%, and from July 2011 it will make your cover invalid.
  • Display metal theft posters on the perimeter of your church and e.g. in a nearby bus stop. Click here for a downloadable poster version.
  • Various alarm systems are available including a roof security system, see EIG's website.
  • Report metal theft - however minor to the police and your insurance company.
  • EIG offers further advice about metal theft on their website.
  • Inform your local MP (see ARCH below).

Fuel Theft is also becoming quite common. Along with the advice above, also consider the following:

  • Monitor the level of oil in your tank regularly (too low and it may damage the boiler).
  • Conceal the location of the tank with hedging, fencing or walling.
  • Securely lock doors at all times if the tank is situated within a building.
  • Install security lighting for the tank if the churchyard is overlooked from nearby buildings and/or consider an alarm.
  • Lock the church gates at night to make it more difficult for a thief to escape with oil.

Heritage Crime Impact Statement (HCIS)  It can be hard to quantify what the impacts are from damage to an historic church but an HCIS helps you to do this. These statements are also useful for the police and courts in bringing about prosecutions. For more information, go to the Church Care website.  Send a copy to your local MP (see ARCH below).

ARCH - The Alliance to Reduce Crime against Heritage is spearheaded by English Heritage, the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, is a new voluntary national network that will be used to take forward a range of initiatives to help prevent future crime and to ensure that enforcement is realistic and efficient. For instance, they are looking at European models of metal theft prevention. By informing and lobbying your MP about damage caused to your church, this can help improve the current policies in order to prevent further crime.

Who can help

  • Cumbria Constabulary - your local crime reduction officer can visit and give you free advice on security and devices.
  • EIG - have useful advice and devices. You can also ask their Insurance Consultant and Surveyor to visit and give site-specific free advice.
  • Smith of Derby is just one company that sells security devises such as ‘Churchcam' but speak to churches that have used their products before you invest.
  • Further advice can be found on the Diocese of Carlisle website, and on the National Churchwatch website.