INTRODUCING CHURCH INTERPOL

                                                    CHURCH INTERPOL

                          A Christian-In-Action Secret Service Squad (C.I.A.S.S.S)

                                  Motto:  “Commitment to Excellent Service”

PREAMBLE

Being prepared to respond to any negative occurrence is an important and necessary first step in safety and security matters. Hoping and praying that our churches and congregations are safe from victimization is not a viable option! Criminals do not respect the sanctuary; they seek out easy target that allows them the opportunity to commit crime. Doing nothing invites criminal opportunity.

 1 Chronicles 9:22-23 (ISV)

"All these, who had been set apart as gatekeepers at the entrances, numbered 212 and had been enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer installed them in their positions of trust, so they and their descendants were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, that is, the House of the Tent, as guardians."

 ABOUT THE CHURCH INTERPOL

The initiative to create a Church-only Policing Squad was conceived by the Association of Nigeria Church Ushers’ & Protocols (ANCUP), the Coalition of Christian Security Officers in Nigeria (CCSON), and Church Safety Congressional Board (CSCB), with the aim to complement the effort of the church ushers, and to fight church crime on a larger scale.

The Church Interpol is an Interdenominational Church Defence Department, fused with Visible and Invisible intelligence personnel, and set to fight church crime on a larger scale. It is a non-uniform secret service enforcement squad with an outlook slogan that says: “Dismantling the tools of crime in the church”. The Department is set to cut across boarders in fighting church crime, and ready to up-tune other security challenges confronting churches in Nigeria. It will serve as the first layer of policing in the church, and will operate in the format of Secret Service Agent- a Visible and non-Visible Christian intelligence personnel. NOTE: Visible to deter any potential attacker from making a move, while invisible to be able to react to any security breach.

 WHY CHURCH INTERPOL

The need for the Church Policing arose from the identified security challenges facing the Church in Nigeria- owing to the high incidence of theft, armed robbery, kidnapping, assassination, suicide bombing, arson, vandalism etc. Apparently, church ushers and protocol officers lack the necessary basic safety and security knowledge to effectively douse some certain exigent circumstance.

The Department is however expected to prevent crime before it occurs. It will complement security lapses, foresee security weaknesses, and to assist security agencies, especially in the area of community policing through an intelligence network that is built across the foundation. However, the Department is NOT and will NOT in any way compete with the regular security apparatus in Nigeria, but rather it is set to assist the security agencies by providing useful intelligence information to appropriate authorities, and facilitate the arrest of perpetrators of criminal activities either in the church or in the community.

The Department is with a mission that the safety of worshippers and their valuable items is not negotiable but rather the priority. It is set to integrate a variety of innovative technologies and maintain a highly skilled and motivated workforce –using advanced counter-measures to execute its security operations that will not only deter or minimize crime in the church, but will decisively respond to identified threats and vulnerabilities within the church. The Department personnel shall be members from various church denominations, a deliberate policy to build a comprehensive church safety intelligence network, balanced safety and privacy for church worshippers, and to identify Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats within church circle.

It is set to rely on meticulous advanced work and threats assessments developed by its intelligence division so as to identify potential risks in the church. Already, the department has a tailor-made and formalized delineated roles and responsibilities for every recruited personnel.

It is set to have the following specialized resource personnel, and these include:

• The Counter Sniper Team
• The Airspace Security Team
• The Emergency Response Team
• The Counter Surveillance Unit
• The Counter Assault Team
• The Hazardous Agent Team
• The Medical Emergency Response Team
• The Magnetometer Operation Unit
• Chemical/Biological and Radiological Nuclear Materials
• The Explosive Devices Team

MISSION STATEMENT

1. Our mission is to develop a strategic foundation of security and protection against known and unknown threats to the worshippers of our Lord Jesus Christ during regular services and special events.

2. To establish and ensure effective guidelines are in place to secure congregations, pastors, ministers, the children’s department and church facilities.

3. To cut across borders by providing volunteer surveillance in regions that are most affected by security challenges i.e. gathering, collating and sharing information and intelligence with the intention of ensuring the safety and security of worshippers, and thereby producing an all-source safety information to churches of different denominations, conducting effective covert action as directed by the Department division, and safeguarding the secrets that help keep our churches safe”.

4. To partner with relevant Security Agencies at the local, state and federal levels, in an effort to serve our churches and communities, in preventing crime and eliminating unlawful and threatening issues.

5. To be diligent provide an inclusive environment for worshippers at every point in time.

6. To strive, meet or exceed all professional expectations and obligations. We are honorably dedicated to achieving the mission by providing peace of mind to every church worshippers.

7. To participate in efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of crime in the church while ensuring that any criminal act is duly investigated, and to bring any criminal perpetrators to justice in a fair way.

8. To engender an efficient, effective, well-trained and highly motivated workforce, with deliberate efforts aimed at improving the safety of church worshippers at any point in time.

9. To build a church friendly policing squad that will respect, uphold and abide with the fundamental law of the land

 Our Vision

We envision a worry-free worship experience and safe environment for every worshipper of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, to be nationally recognized as a result-oriented Church-only Policing Squad with the highest standards of professionalism in security and safety management.

OVERSIGHT

The Department will be overseen by the Association of Nigeria Church Ushers’ & Protocols (ANCUP), Church Safety Congressional Board (CSCB), and Coalition of Christian Security Officers in Nigeria (CCSON). The oversight board shall afford the Department support and opportunity to continually ensure that the Department meets the safety and the security needs of the Church.