CONCEPT FOR IMPROVING THE SECURITY OF RELIGIOUS SITES

Abstract

This article presents a concept for improving security at places of worship based on research carried out as part of the ProSPeReS project, along with a review of the topical literature. It presents the current state of security at such places and selected threats which such ‘soft’ targets may be exposed to. Places of worship are considered particularly vulnerable to attacks due to their accessibility and the fact that limited security measures are usually in place. The research was aimed at enhancing protection of places of worship by proposing potential opportunities for organisational changes in preventing, detecting and responding to terrorist attempts. To this end, a bow-tie analysis of a reference scenario at a hypothetical place of worship was applied, adapting the Vulnerability Assessment Tool methodology for this purpose. The background knowledge to the research constituted the results of a literature review, study visits to places of worship and knowledge of public security experts. The results of research in the form of the proposed method of threat analysis and vulnerability of religious sites and religious gatherings, as well as potential solutions to enhance the protection of these places in the context of the considered reference scenario, which translate into increased readiness for a potential terrorist event.