Following latest round of Nonprofit Security Grants, PSP, PEMA, and PA Office of Homeland Security met with religious leaders to advise them on how to increase security at houses of worship
The Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security (OHS), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) have provided religious leaders with vital information to enhance security and resilience at houses of worship.
The public safety agencies spoke with more than 300 religious leaders who participated in an event Thursday. Presentations focused on the various programs available to houses of worship, including free security assessments and nonprofit security grants.
The Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center (PaCIC) provided an overview of incidents and trends impacting houses of worship and the faith-based community. PaCIC, managed by the PSP, provides Pennsylvania’s law enforcement community with investigative data, intelligence information, and threat assessments to help deter crimes and terrorist acts.
PSP’s Risk & Vulnerability Assessment Team (RVAT) spoke about security evaluations and other resources available to the religious community. RVAT assessments identify practical steps that can better protect facilities and events. The free service is provided to public and private facilities, including houses of worship, schools, government buildings, and other critical infrastructure. During the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023, RVAT completed nearly 450 security and vulnerability assessments. For more information, visit the Safety Resources page on the PSP website.
The Office of Homeland Security provides a number of outreach events for houses of worship, including quarterly safety and resilience workshops.
“Every Pennsylvanian has the right to feel safe while expressing and exercising their religious beliefs, without fear of intimidation or harassment,” said Major Michaelann Andrusiak, Director of the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security. “This outreach program aligns with our mission to protect all Commonwealth citizens from threats to their safety and way of life.”
The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides funding for physical and cybersecurity enhancements and other security-related activities to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack. The program also seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations with broader state and local preparedness efforts. In FY2023, 46 organizations were awarded more than $5.6 million in funding.
“This grant program is just one of the many tools that faith-based organizations and houses of worship have available to them to enhance emergency planning, conduct training and increase their overall security to ensure their members feel safe and can continue to enrich the communities they serve,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “It is critical that these facilities have this information and know where they can turn for additional resources and guidance if they need it.”
The state Nonprofit Security Grant Program, administered by PCCD, supports nonprofit organizations – including faith-based institutions (e.g., churches, synagogues, mosques), community centers, and other organizations/facilities – who principally serve individuals, groups, or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents, as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication. Entities can use funding for a wide variety of eligible security enhancements, including safety and security planning and training; purchase of safety and security equipment and technology; upgrades to existing structures that enhance safety and security; and vulnerability and threat assessments.
Earlier this month, PCCD announced the sixth cohort of Nonprofit Security Grant Program awards approved by PCCD, which awarded 93 organizations funding. These organizations join 488 entities that have received nearly $20 million total in funding since 2020.
