church security
Lock away as many valuable and portable items as you can
Locking churches
We encourage all churches to be open during daylight hours so that they can continue to be a dedicated space for public worship and a focus for events and community activities.
By following these guidelines it should be possible for the church to remain open for the use and enjoyment of all:
while the church should, if possible, be left open during the day, it should be locked during the hours of darkness (other than for services) or unless someone is present
if you can, try to have someone on duty in the church at all times by having a rota of church sitters. Or organise cleaning, grass cutting and other routine activities so that there’s someone in the church or churchyard for as much of the time as possible. But don’t forget, anyone left alone in the church could be at risk, therefore a means of communication such as a mobile phone should always be available
ask people living nearby to keep an eye out for anything suspicious happening around the church. This may be best organised as part of a national churchwatch scheme
lock away as many valuable and portable items as you can. All silver items should be kept in a good quality safe. If possible, keep brass and pewter items in the safe as well. If there isn’t enough room in the safe, then lock them away in a secure area like the vestry
coffin stools, chests and items that could be used in a domestic setting, are particularly vulnerable. If items can’t be locked away, consider chaining them to the floor or wall. This may not deter a determined thief, but may be sufficient to prevent more casual theft.
Helpful hint
If you feel your church should normally be kept locked, you might like to consider making the key available to visitors. You could ask a local shop, Post Office or garage to safeguard the keys and take details of those visitors who wish to use them. Information about where to obtain the keys can be displayed in the porch area or on the church notice board.
Our local Insurance Consultants and Surveyors can help you with all aspects of church security.
