Churches Need to Be Ready to Recover When Thieves and Vandals Strike

Churches across the nation struggle to pay for replacement, repair, and restoration after being targeted by vandals or thieves, and it seems like these crimes often specifically target places of worship. While some church insurance policies cover these kinds of losses, cleaning up after criminals can be an expensive proposition—and the loss of irreplaceable or desperately needed church property can be heartbreaking.

Why Are Churches Often Targeted by Vandals and Thieves?

It’s hard to say why criminals do the things they do, but churches are often especially vulnerable to vandals and thieves because:

• Churches often leave their doors open to all. Churches are supposed to be safe, welcoming havens, and the doors are often left unlocked so that members of the congregation can come and go as needed. Unfortunately, this can also offer an easy opportunity for thieves or vandals.
• Vandals or thieves may hope to make a statement. It’s unfortunate, but some vandals may target churches hoping to make a political or social statement.
• Church security may be more relaxed. Many churches trust their communities and don’t consider the need for strong locks, good lighting, or security cameras, and some criminals may take advantage of the low security.

The Difficulty of Filing an Insurance Claim for Church Losses Due to Criminal Activity

While many church insurance policies do cover losses that result from criminal activities, insurance policies can—and do—vary. Additionally, even if your existing coverage does cover theft and vandalism, you may still have to present evidence of ownership of property and struggle against the usual complications and stresses of the claims process.

Before you give up hope of restoring a place of worship, reach out for help from an experienced policyholder attorney. The legal team at The Voss Law Firm can walk you through the complicated process of maximizing your insurance claim, and we can also aggressively protect your policyholder rights. For more information, simply call our office today, or fill out the convenient online contact form on this page.