Why Does Glass Security Matter for Religious Centers?
Violent hate crimes targeting places of worship are on the rise across the US. That’s why it’s so important for religious center leaders and administrators to start taking security seriously.
No one wants to imagine a peaceful Sunday afternoon service turning violent, but the reality is that it can happen anywhere. Churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples are all at risk of being targeted by active threats looking to harm people because of their extremist beliefs.
Hate crimes targeting religious properties, such as broken windows and graffiti, are another threat that these types of facilities face. Though not as dangerous to the physical security of worshipers as other types of crimes, they can lead to unwanted costly repairs and cleanup.
A key concern that many religious center stakeholders have when it comes to beefing up security is that they do not want to inadvertently make it a less welcoming place for congregants. This is a valid concern, but there are ways to improve physical security without drastically altering the appearance or atmosphere of your facility.
Riot Glass® for Active Threat Protection
Riot Glass® offers a full range of ballistic-grade (bullet-resistant) glazing shields that provide varying levels of active threat protection for religious facilities.
These glazing shields can be overglazed (mounted on top of) any facility’s existing glass doors and windows to stop bullets and prevent forced entry.
Many of our ballistic-grade security glass solutions come with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) ballistic resistance ratings all the way up to a UL 752 Level 7 rating. This means they can resist a high-speed, multi-shot attack from an AK-47 rifle using .308 150-grain military rounds.
Whether a place of worship is the primary target of an active threat, or it just happens to lie in their path, Riot Glass® drastically improves the safety of its congregants.
These ballistic glazing shields will stop bullets up to a certain point and, even when riddled with bullets, prevent a would-be intruder from passing through to harm those that are inside.
The significant delay to forced entry created by Riot Glass® creates a valuable window of time that allows those inside to react by calling the authorities and barricading themselves somewhere safe inside until the police arrive and neutralize the threat.
Riot Glass® for Vandalism Prevention
In addition to providing a high level of protection against forced entry and active threats, Riot Glass® also serves to mitigate damage due to vandalism on religious properties.
Many of our security glazing for religious facilities comes with a proprietary abrasion-resistant coating that resists marring, chemical attacks, and graffiti. Also, the extreme impact resistance of Riot Glass® means that vandals won’t be able to throw a rock or a brick through windows.
Whether you want to protect your facility’s priceless stained glass or other decorative glass, or simply avoid unnecessary glass door and window replacement, Riot Glass® is an ideal solution.
Retrofit Security for Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, & Temples
All our products are designed to be retrofitted right on top of your existing glass and can be mounted into or onto almost any existing framing system. The only exception is if your building is extremely old and the framing has deteriorated.
Retrofitting is a much more cost-effective and convenient solution than replacing the existing glass with new security glass for religious centers. It also means you can keep any historic glass that is an important part of your place of worship’s architecture.
We custom build all our security doors and windows for churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and any other type of religious building. You can be confident that you’re getting a 100% personalized security solution that will fit your windows and doors like a glove.
Our retrofit security solutions for religious facilities are designed to have a minimal footprint and function just like your traditional window glass. You don’t have to worry about worshipers feeling that they’re coming into a fortified building, but you’ll know that they’re safer there.
More Reasons To Choose Riot Glass®
The extreme impact resistance of Riot Glass® not only protects against man-made threats but also against unpredictable mother nature. This is especially important if your religious center is located in a hurricane zone or an area prone to strong windstorms.
A flying piece of storm debris can easily smash through your building’s windows, potentially causing injury and leaving the property exposed to expensive water and wind damage.
Besides the impact protection, Riot Glass® can help with sound attenuation (noise reduction) to make your place of worship even more peaceful during services and events.
Additionally, Riot Glass® can help with insulation to keep indoor temperatures comfortable year-round for congregants and staff. This can even increase the overall energy efficiency of your religious facility to cut down on monthly utility bills, so you can invest the money elsewhere.
