Hardening a target: How one security team helps protect Jewish gathering places

Sharing intelligence threats with other agencies is just one of the many behind-the-scenes ways the security unit of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey works to protect synagogues, Jewish Community Centers and other places where the community gathers.

Bud Monaghan, the executive director of the security detail of the JFSNJ, JFED Security will tell you that forward-facing actions are just as important and can serve as a powerful deterrent.

“From an intelligence gathering standpoint, information sharing is the backbone of the security we provide the community,” he said. “But visible deterrents — and an increased visible presence at certain times — are important to making the community feel better.

“The visible piece of security — things that they can see, things that are tangible — have a great impact when it comes to hardening a facility.”

Here are a few ways Monaghan said facilities can do just that.

A bollard-type system: Whether it’s a natural type of stone or commercially fabricated ones that are placed in front of a building, or visible posts that are in the ground, they act to prevent vehicles from driving into a facility and doing harm.

Limited access: Control systems that limit people’s ability to go in and out of a building are extremely important. There should be a single point of access into a location.

Window treatment: There should be blast-resistant film applications on all ground-floor windows across the building, preventing a bad actor who was attempting to gain access by maneuvering around the single point of entry.

Cameras: Exterior and interior cameras let you know what’s going on in and around your building and, just as importantly, let bad actors know that you know what is going on.

Registration: Make those who want to come to an event register, allowing organizers to have an early chance to spot someone who may be a bad actor — and act on them — before they get to the facility.

All of these actions allow organizations to be proactive in their security, a marked enhancement from the past, Monaghan said.

“Years ago, everything was reactionary: Put a guard at the door and hope the guard would be able to neutralize the situation if someone attempted to breach the perimeter of that facility,” he said. “Basically, it was a single layer of security. It is visible — people feel better when they see it — but it’s not really the be all, end all of security.”

Of course, nothing is as important as being able to neutralize threats before they happen. That’s where the intelligence gathering — and sharing — comes into play. That’s why his group is in constant contact with groups inside and outside of New Jersey.

“Hate doesn’t stop at the border,” Monaghan said. “There is no Great Wall to keep bad actors out of New Jersey or even out of the United States. We need to work together.”