Worshippers Cite Safety Fears as Violence Drives Security Reassessment at Religious Institutions

Rising concern about violence at places of worship is changing how Americans attend religious services and accelerating security upgrades across faith-based institutions, according to new survey findings.

Nearly half of regular worshippers say they feel less safe attending in-person services, highlighting an operational challenge for religious leaders seeking to balance openness with physical security.

In response to a Security Guys News query, Verkada shared findings from new research conducted with The Harris Poll examining safety perceptions at U.S. religious institutions. The survey, conducted among 1,123 adults who attend religious services or events at least once a month, points to a measurable shift in both sentiment and behavior tied to concerns about violence.

According to the research, 48 percent of respondents said they feel less safe attending in-person services due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. More than a perception issue, those concerns are already influencing attendance patterns. Thirty-nine percent reported changing how often they attend services in person because of safety worries, suggesting that security conditions are beginning to affect participation levels.

Safety concerns scale with congregation size

The data indicates that perceived risk is not evenly distributed across congregations. Attendees at larger places of worship reported significantly higher concern. Nearly one-third of respondents attending congregations with more than 500 people said they are very concerned about their safety, compared with 18 percent among those who attend smaller institutions.

Larger venues often present different operational realities, including higher foot traffic, less familiarity among attendees, and more complex entry and exit flows. These conditions can increase exposure while making it harder to implement consistent security practices without disrupting services.

Younger worshippers are changing behavior fastest

Generational differences are pronounced. Younger worshippers expressed substantially higher levels of concern than older cohorts. Fifty-five percent of Gen Z respondents and 61 percent of Millennials said they are concerned about safety at in-person services, compared with 40 percent of Gen X and 25 percent of Baby Boomers.

Those concerns translate directly into behavior. More than half of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said they have altered their attendance habits due to safety fears, compared with far lower rates among older attendees. This shift suggests that security posture may increasingly influence long-term engagement, particularly as younger generations take on more leadership and participation roles within faith communities.

Technology adoption is rising, but uneven

Despite elevated concern, the research shows broad acceptance of security technology in religious settings. Three in four respondents said security technology helps, or would help, them feel safer during services. More than half reported that their place of worship has upgraded security in the past year, indicating that many institutions are actively responding.

However, one-third of respondents still rated security measures at their place of worship as minimal or non-existent. This gap points to uneven adoption, likely driven by differences in budget, technical capacity, and governance structures across congregations.

Verkada said this shift is reflected in its own customer base, reporting a 65 percent increase over the past year in the number of religious institutions adopting its security technology. While the company did not detail which products are driving that growth, the increase suggests movement toward more structured and integrated approaches rather than ad hoc measures.

Operationally, places of worship face constraints distinct from other public venues. They are designed to be open and welcoming, often rely on volunteers, and typically operate with limited resources. Security measures that feel overly intrusive can undermine trust, while insufficient protection can erode confidence among congregants.

Ben Jones, a retired police lieutenant and public safety advisor at Verkada, described the challenge as maintaining balance. He noted that places of worship remain essential gathering spaces for a significant portion of the population, making security decisions consequential not only for safety, but for community cohesion.

The findings also point to common failure modes. Upgrades made without clear risk prioritization may not address the threats congregants fear most. Technology deployed without training or ownership may exist without improving real-world readiness. In addition, few institutions appear to be measuring whether security investments are improving outcomes such as perceived safety or sustained attendance.

Bottom line: As violence concerns reshape how people engage with in-person worship, faith leaders must decide how to scale security in ways that align with congregation size, generational expectations, and the core mission of providing open, welcoming spaces, without introducing measures that feel misaligned with those values.