Carl Chinn: "Think About It" Series

Evil Among us

By: Carl Chinn

I am angry, can’t sleep, and am literally sick to my stomach. My wife’s throat hurt Friday from screaming out in anguish as the horror out of Sandy Hook Elementary became news to the world.

How do we stop such evil? At what stage can we stop it?

• Before it clutches the mind and soul of the attacker?
• If not then, perhaps before it plays out on innocent victims?
• If we can’t interrupt it before it starts, can we stop it short of its intended finish?
• If it runs a full course in one scenario, can we prevent it from the same source in the next?

It is incumbent upon us as protection professionals to give due diligence to every one of those phases. The 4 questions above fit into the security concepts of prevention, preparation, response and recovery.

As we brace ourselves for this thing to turn political, as protection professionals we need to stay out of the passionate arguments. We observe the horror to harvest our own lessons learned, and to sharpen the saw of our own readiness.

Think About it:

• Stand strong at your churches and ministries this week. Look into the eyes of those you protect and thank God for every one of them.

• I have studied and dissected 255 attacks which resulted in the death of others at faith-based organizations since 1999. Of those 255 attacks, only a total of 24 were stopped in the process by others (12 by law enforcement, 12 by volunteers). The troubling statistic here is that 90.6% of the time, the attacker did not stop until they were ready to stop.

• There is nothing like a gun in the hands of a defender to stop a gun in the hands of evil. I recall reading some of the criticisms in letters to the editor on our use of deadly force to stop the attacker at our church shooting in 2007. People actually suggested we should have used pepper spray. There really is a serious disconnect of reality in the minds of people who don’t understand evil – pure idiocy. That idiocy is observed in “gun-free zones”. We have to start fixing that issue. Gun free zones (like Sandy Hook Elementary) only provide a field of no resistance for evil. It is time we allow teachers, custodians, or any other workers who are willing to invest in training, and possess the character and desire of protection, to do so.

• Outside teams take notice. At Sandy Hook, the attacker parked in a drop-off zone. He was dressed tactically, and forced his way inside. Watch those DLR’s! (for those of you who are new to reading my website; DLR = “Don’t Look Right”).

• I thank you for your service of protection. Extend your thanks to those you serve with. Thank those in leadership for allowing you to serve in protection.

• Thank God for allowing us to do our parts in the deterrence, detection, delay, denial and destruction of evil. May He enlarge our steps as we work towards success in the protection of the innocent.

Church Worker Robbed at Knifepoint - Texas

From: KXAN News

{FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) - Fredericksburg police are looking for a robbery suspect whom they say pulled a knife on a church worker and demanded money...

The worker at the church, who asked not to be identified for safety purposes, said she came into work and was sitting at a desk when the door chime sounded, indicating someone had entered the building.

When the worker turned around, a man was standing there.}

Click For Full Story

My Thoughts: Story is a good example of needing a panic button at your reception desk!

Pastor Attacked and Robbed in Florida

"The pastor of a church in the north Seminole County community of Midway was kicked and beaten early Tuesday by two robbers who confronted him when he left his church, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said today.

The Rev. Leonard Lee Wilson, 47, of Sanford, suffered injuries to his head and face and was treated by paramedics from Seminole County Fire Rescue, Sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Cannaday said."

Click for Link

Hat-tip: Matt Larson

Best Practices for Mail Center Security

In light on the recent CONFIRMED attempted terrorist attack on Houses of Worship within the United States of America, I encourage all of you to review your policy for handling mail and packages that are sent to your facility. Below is a clip from the United States Postal Service, along with a link for recommendations for "Best Practices for Mail Center Security"

"There are millions of businesses that use the mail. The vast majority of these have only 'one to a few' person(s) responsible for mail center-type operations. Of these millions of businesses, there are thousands of large, complex corporate mail center operations. The best practices listed below are a summary of well-developed mail center security procedures that can be used by any mail center.Procedures applicable primarily to large mail centers are identified as such, and in bold.

These recommendations come from businesses that use the mail and have been shared with the USPS for distribution to its customers. Since needs and resources are often different, every suggestion may not apply to all businesses. Mailers should determine which are appropriate for their company and conduct periodic security reviews of their operation to identify needed improvements. The list below contains general security concepts and a few specific examples of how to accomplish them."

Click for Link