Meetinghouse Security <wink>
Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:07 pm
We haven't had any problems with theft-related break-ins since they moved all the media equipment in the library to a locked closet. The Church unit computers were always so outdated that they were never a target. With the new batch of Dells, they've put bars on the clerk's windows.
Our problem has been mostly with parking lot thefts during the Sunday block and with meetinghouse vandalism, especially on Halloween. One year some kids broke in and pumpkin-ed the building. The movie screen in the multipurpose room had obscenities painted on it.
We've solved the Halloween problem by assigning people to watch the building all night.
We also have a lockup assignment to check the building every night after activities are concluded.
We still hear of one or two arson-started meetinghouse fires in the area each year.
Today Doug Wright, on his KSL radio talk show, was talking about the surveillance cameras in the U.K. that have been used to catch the Glasgow car bombers. He indicated that the U.K. has the highest concentration of surveillance cameras in the world, with one camera for every 14 people. Doug was lamenting the loss of privacy that comes with using surveillance cameras to thwart criminals.
I have no knowledge of any Church meetinghouse with a surveillance system or even an alarm system.
I know we have surveillance cameras on Temple Square downtown. Perhaps we have cameras at the other temples as well, but I haven't noticed them. A discussion here of other security measures in place at our temples would probably get me in trouble (again), as it may serve to compromise the effectiveness of those measures.
Will we ever see widespread use of surveillance and alarm systems on our meetinghouses?
I can see people saying that church attendance and church worship is a very private thing and that they wouldn't want their private devotions recorded or monitored. On the other hand, there have been instances in which child abductions, child abuse, theft, vandalism, and other crimes have taken place on Church property and might have been prevented or caught sooner if surveillance and security measures had been in place.
I don't want to violate any more forum rules by starting a heated debate or by appearing to have a desire to start a heated debate. I am wondering if tech can have a reasonable role in securing our meetinghouses.
Our problem has been mostly with parking lot thefts during the Sunday block and with meetinghouse vandalism, especially on Halloween. One year some kids broke in and pumpkin-ed the building. The movie screen in the multipurpose room had obscenities painted on it.
We've solved the Halloween problem by assigning people to watch the building all night.
We also have a lockup assignment to check the building every night after activities are concluded.
We still hear of one or two arson-started meetinghouse fires in the area each year.
Today Doug Wright, on his KSL radio talk show, was talking about the surveillance cameras in the U.K. that have been used to catch the Glasgow car bombers. He indicated that the U.K. has the highest concentration of surveillance cameras in the world, with one camera for every 14 people. Doug was lamenting the loss of privacy that comes with using surveillance cameras to thwart criminals.
I have no knowledge of any Church meetinghouse with a surveillance system or even an alarm system.
I know we have surveillance cameras on Temple Square downtown. Perhaps we have cameras at the other temples as well, but I haven't noticed them. A discussion here of other security measures in place at our temples would probably get me in trouble (again), as it may serve to compromise the effectiveness of those measures.
Will we ever see widespread use of surveillance and alarm systems on our meetinghouses?
I can see people saying that church attendance and church worship is a very private thing and that they wouldn't want their private devotions recorded or monitored. On the other hand, there have been instances in which child abductions, child abuse, theft, vandalism, and other crimes have taken place on Church property and might have been prevented or caught sooner if surveillance and security measures had been in place.
I don't want to violate any more forum rules by starting a heated debate or by appearing to have a desire to start a heated debate. I am wondering if tech can have a reasonable role in securing our meetinghouses.