Safety, Security and Facilities
Ensuring that our brothers and sisters in Christ have a safe place to worship and learn is of the utmost importance. We want to make sure you have all the tools and guides at your disposal. The Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, the Office of Safety, Security, and Facilities, along with Catholic Mutual, have compiled a list of resources that can be used and tailored to the needs of your parish or school. As you review the content below, please keep these suggestions in mind:
Reach out to your local law enforcement, they have many resources and options for you. Coordinate and make them a part of your security plans.
Send an email to SMIG@archspm.org, Paul and Randy will be happy to get back to as soon as they can.
Email or call the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment with any questions (651-291-4521)
Safety and Security Guides
- Catholic Mutual Safety and Security Guide: Guide from Catholic Mutual on developing a Safety & Security program for your parish, school, and facilities
- Church Security: How to keep your property and the people inside safe from harm
- Church Security-Safety/Security Team Best Practices: Best practices for providing resources on safety and security issues, high risk or threat situations, and general emergency situations
- Faith Based Organization – Self Risk Assessment Tool: Self risk assessment tool to identify and manage security vulnerabilities at their houses of worship, from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)
- Safety and Security Plan: Security Managers Information Group (SMIG)
- Security Profile – Suspicious Activity: How to identify and report activities that seem suspicious
- Business Security: Helpful tips and guidance on preventing potential business loss and preventing crimes.
- Active Shooter Emergency Response: Steps to review and follow when encountering an active shooter in your facility
- Door Barricade System: Products and their descriptions on what you can use for door barricade systems
- Establishing a Key Control Policy: How to develop a policy to control the physical keys to getting into your building for overall safety
- Lockdown Procedures: Guidelines on school security and lockdown procedures to keep students and staff safe
- Emergency Procedures App Instructions: How to install and use the Catholic Mutual Emergency Response Procedures
- Escape Planning Form: Blank template for escape plans for each room
Security Managers Information Group (SMIG)
The Security Managers Information Group (SMIG) was created to allow collaboration and information sharing among key stakeholders and those that oversee the safety of their parishes and schools. SMIG is intended to bridge the gap between parishes, schools, and security professionals as well as create a platform to share current events, opportunities, and resources. SMIG meetings allow for collaboration among parishes and schools, and often feature guest speakers addressing relevant security topics. The SMIG site has a robust repository of resources, including security plan templates, recommended vendors list, and much more. Additional resources for CMG and OMCE can be found on this site as well.
SMIG members meet virtually and on occasion in person every two months. For future meeting dates, visit the “Events” section of Mission Support.
If you are not yet joined the Archdiocese Security Managers Information group (SMIG), we encourage you to so. It is free to parishes and schools. We meet bimonthly and discuss safety-related topics, have guest speakers, and announce upcoming training events. Past sessions have been recorded. In addition, we have a robust website that shares information on upcoming training, relevant security updates and security-related document templates.
SMIG meets virtually on a bi-monthly basis to discuss safety-related topics, have guest speakers, and announce upcoming training events. Listed below are the upcoming meetings through 2026:
Additional Resources
CMGConnect
CMG Connect provides both online training and the ability to manage participation in on-site trainings.
SafeCatholic.org
The Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment provides victim / survivor services, investigates allegations of abuse and misconduct, and supports the work of the Ministerial Review Board.