Church Security Reports & Forms

Documentation is an important form of communication.  There are Bible passages that refer to documentation.  For example, “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.” (Revelation 1:19)  In fact, there are several pages of documentation in the Old Testament, such as genealogical records, census results, lists of officials, official accounts of government edicts and military actions, etc.

Documentation has an important role in a Church Safety Ministry. Besides team member enrollment, written policies and procedures, equipment & supply inventories, contact lists, and financial records, these also include incident reports, suspected child mistreatment reports, patrol and inspection logs, and follow-up reports.  Other possible logs or reports may include offering handling logs and medical response reports.

There are a number of reasons why the church should keep these records for a period of time. Documentation is needed for investigation of incidents by the Safety Committee and Director, by the church's leadership, by law enforcement, and in case of a claim, by the insurance provider.

Incident reports can be used in evaluation of Safety Team responses. This can lead to evaluation of policies and procedures and how they are carried out. Hopefully, this will lead to needed improvements and training.

Documentation is needed if an injury claim is made against the church or the church is sued. This includes both incident reports, patrol logs, and inspection reports.  And Incident Reports are important evidence during court trials.  There were many times my incident reports were critical to supporting my testimony in a court case. 

Whenever the Security Team is involved in actions which are not routine, an incident report must be completed and turned in to the Safety Director or the Team Leader.  It should be filled out before the team member leaves and turned in as soon as possible.  Blank report forms should always be available, thus the Safety & Security Director needs to be sure there are enough on hand.

The Incident Report form has blanks for the date, time, and location of the incident.  There are boxes to check for the type of incident and spaces for the persons involved, a description of the incident, what emergency services (if any) were called, and information about the Security Team member(s) involved. 

If your church has an office Safe, it must be kept secure and protected by controlling access to it.  

The Safe Access Log records:

1) Who is authorized to open the safe?

2) When it is opened?

3) Who opens it?

4) Who are the observers/witnesses each time it is opened?

A Patrol Log records:

1) The times Security patrolled the premises.

2) What area of the property was patrolled?

3) Was the inside or outside the main building patrolled?

There should be space for brief notes about the patrol.

This next report is one we hope will never have to be filled out.  However, child abuse does happen, even in churches and to children who attend church.  All states have some form of required reporting of child abuse, whether physical, sexual, emotional, or neglect.  Any staff person or volunteer is mandated to report any observations or suspicions of abuse or mistreatment of a minor or vulnerable adult.  

Keep these forms on hand and check your state's laws regarding reporting of child abuse.  Even if churches are partially exempt in your state, diligently following policies and procedures, and reporting abuse, not only protects the church from criminal charges, but also reduces the chance of lawsuits and provides a defense.

Be safe! 

Integrity Security Consulting

Russ Sharrock

405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com

I have developed and made available to anyone interested, for FREE, a series of Security & safety forms that can be printed for your use:

1) A Safety & Security Risk Assessment Form

2) Church Security Plan Template

3) Church Emergency Plan Template

4) A General Fire Safety Checklist

5) A Bomb Threat Checklist

6) A Bomb Threat Distance Chart:  Includes various types of explosive devises and to be referred to in an event of a bomb threat evacuation.  These are minimum distances to evacuate away from the area of explosion.

7) Facility Lockdown Checklist

8) Child Protection Covenant

9) Church Emergency Management Checklist

These MS Word documents can be adapted as necessary to fit your church size and needs.  I will be adding new forms as time allows.

For a copy of any of these FREE forms, or if you have any questions, contact me and let me know what your needs are.