Religious communities account for roughly 20 percent of the reported hate crimes in America. While tragic incidents of gun violence in places of worship is far and few between, spiritual organizations can’t be too careful in protecting their flocks these days. The State of Maryland and the Governor’s Office have released a new program allowing religious institutions to apply for grants to fund security cameras, personnel, and surveillance equipment. It costs you nothing but a little of your time to see if your facilities are eligible for security upgrades and surveillance systems that will provide your entire congregation with greater peace of mind.
Do You Qualify for The 2020 Protecting Religious Institutions Grant?
Faith-based organizations, houses of worship, and nonprofit religious organizations are all eligible to apply, as long as they have a valid federal DUNS number and are currently registered with the System for Award Registration (SAM) and their capital improvement project submission is under $200,000. The 2020 submission deadline is May 1, 2020 at 3pm. Applicants can apply for grant funding at http://goccp.maryland.gov/grants/programs/protecting-religious-institutions-prig/.
Grant recipients will be selected based on the following criteria:
- 30 pts: Program goals, objectives, strategy, and logic – Specific, quantifiable results to be achieved.
- 20 pts: Performance measurement – You must commit to sharing security-related outcomes over time.
- 20 pts: Spending plan and budget – Estimates should be reasonable, cost-effective, and line-itemed.
- 15 pts: Problem statement / needs justification based on the incidence and severity of hate crimes.
- 5 pts: Timeline – Reasonable target dates for security enhancement rollouts.
- 5 pts: Management capabilities – Experience of the agency assigned to assist with the installation.
- 5 pts: Sustainability – What prospects exist for maintaining necessary security after funding expires.
What Security Equipment Can Religious Institutions in Maryland Acquire?
Allowable uses of PRIG funds include:
- Security personnel
- Travel security expenses
- Contractual services
- Equipment such as computers, security cameras, video monitors, and installations
Exact targets of past hate crimes may apply for additional training, security personnel, facility upgrades, and advanced technology like closed-circuit cameras, improved lighting, door-hardening, video recording monitors, x-ray scanners at primary entrances, and parcel inspectors. Equipment must have a useful life of at least one year and cost $100+ per unit. Property Inventory Report Forms will be required for equipment costing over $5,000 per unit.
Maryland Security Professionals Provide Wireless Security Systems
Maryland Security Professionals provides camera installation for churches and places of worship in Baltimore, MD and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. We customize all systems to meet your unique security needs. We are a small, responsive, service-oriented company. Our staff of includes active duty and retired police officers. We can help you evaluate security threats and enhancements that would benefit your institution. Our team is fully committed to meeting the requirements stipulated by the Protecting Religious Institutions Grant program. Since there is no one-size-fits-all in this industry, please contact us for a free, no-obligation on-site estimate. If you’d like to work through the PRIG program, we can help you with the documentation you need to qualify for state funding.