Law Enforcement, Houses of Worship Come Together To Use SHOW App for Safety and Security Planning

• NCJ Number: 251470
• Author(s): Becky Lewis
• Date Published: January 2018
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2014-IJ-CX-K404
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description; Instructional Material (Programmed)

Annotation

This article from TECHbeat (December 2017 issue) describes an app developed by the Justice Technology Information Center, a program of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), which assists houses of worship develop a safety and security plan tailored to their needs.

Abstract

The app is entitled "Safeguarding Houses of Worship" (SHOW), which was released in October 2016. SHOW is available only to law enforcement agencies, which then share download codes with houses of worship in their jurisdictions. The app's design enables the faith-based community to work through the processes of security with law enforcement and other emergency services providers as support resources. The app encompasses emergencies that range from routine medical events to serious active threats. It encourages houses of worship to review their resources and develop plans for what to do before, during, and after an emergency event. Drills should also be held to practice their plans. The article describes how the app was introduced and implemented for houses of worship in or near Frederick, Maryland.