DHS outlines steps houses of worship can take to protect themselves

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a new guide Wednesday with the goal of helping houses of worship — such as churches, mosques and temples — protect themselves amid a time of heightened tensions.

The guidelines, released through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), outline specific actions “faith-based communities” can take to “mitigate the threat of targeted violence and prepare for potential incidents.”

“In this continued heightened threat environment, the Department of Homeland Security is committed to protecting every American’s right to live, express, and worship their faith freely and in safety,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a press release. 

“The physical security performance goals we are releasing today provide churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based institutions with cost-effective, accessible, and readily implementable strategies to enhance their security and reduce the risk to their communities,” he added.

David Mussington — who is in charge of infrastructure security at CISA — said the 16-page document is intended to be clear and “less jargon-filled,” making it easier to understand and follow, The Associated Press reported.

Some of the actions listed in the guide include identifying someone to take charge of security-related matters; implementing additional measures through risk assessment to address security gaps and implementing a “response plan immediately to address preservation of life, incident stability, and property preservation.”

“CISA remains fully committed to its longstanding partnership with faith-based leaders to advance the protection of houses of worship while preserving their open and welcoming environments,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in the release.

The release of the “Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities” guide comes amid a spike in reported hate crimes since the onset of the war between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

“We’ve been opening I think 60 percent more hate crimes investigations post-Oct. 7, then compared to the comparable period pre-Oct. 7,” Wray said during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, referring to when Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel.

“And that’s on top of that already escalating increase that I mentioned,” he said, after pointing out that hate crimes reached a high in 2022.

Wray also noted that “the biggest chunk of those are threats against the Jewish community, but there are of course attacks … against others as well,” pointing to attacks against Muslim targets.