Hateful acts against innocent people are always infuriating. Unfortunately, they show no signs of abating. The latest in Los Angeles County was against a West Los Angeles synagogue. In this case, a 34-year-old man carved an anti-Semitic slur into the synagogue door.

What possesses a person to commit these kinds of acts is perplexing —obviously, someone is not thinking rationally while committing unconscionable crimes. As long as there are unstable people in society, the need for security will be great.

House of Worship Security Guard Company. Taking steps to protect religious property from vandalism or worse is becoming common. In a report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, 24 percent of all hate crimes are religious based in the 30 cities surveyed.

These hate crimes don’t just involve headline-grabbing mass shootings. They involve vandalism or threatening actions against congregation members.

Any hate crime large or small, can shake the sense of security of the members of a church, synagogue, temple or mosque.

Security guards should be in place during major functions and holidays—during times when a criminal could blend into a large crowd without being noticed. Consider retaining a top house of worship security guard firm for all functions—weekly gatherings where people can be vulnerable. If vandalism is an issue, security guards can be stationed overnight on property grounds or 24/7 surveillance cameras can be mounted and monitored. Security staff can dispatch guards or call police if criminal activity is taking place.

We live in unsettling times. The public should be able to attend religious services without fearing for their safety.

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