These Versus documents are built from 35 years of converged security consulting — including extensive pro bono work with churches, schools, faith-based organizations, and businesses across the United States and internationally. They cover the most common security decisions I am asked to help with: the comparisons that keep security directors, executive pastors, facilities managers, and operations leaders up at night.
Each document lays out both sides honestly — pros, cons, and the things worth thinking through before you decide. There are no universal right answers in security, but there are better-informed decisions. That is what these are for. All documents are free to download, share, and use. If you find them helpful and want to talk through your specific situation, reach out — this is exactly the kind of work Ask McConnell, LLC was built to do.
Lanyards vs. Uniforms
Updated: 14 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate the practical role of lanyards and ID badges versus uniformed attire for your security team — exploring how each choice affects visibility, credibility, access control, and the professional image of your security function.
Cameras In Kids Rooms vs. Not
Updated: 14 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether placing cameras in children’s rooms — in a home, school, or childcare setting — is appropriate for your situation, covering safety benefits, privacy considerations, legal requirements, and best practices for transparency with parents and staff.
Contract Guards vs. Off-Duty Law Enforcement
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether to staff your security function with contracted security guards or off-duty law enforcement officers — weighing legal authority, training, cost, liability, and the very different presence each brings to your environment.
Onsite Technology vs. Cloud
Updated: 14 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether your organization’s security technology belongs on-premise or in the cloud — examining cost, data sovereignty, reliability, scalability, and the operational realities of each approach so you can make a well-informed infrastructure decision.
Team Name – Security vs Safety
Updated: 14 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate the strategic choice between naming your department “Security” or “Safety” — and why that label matters more than you might expect when it comes to organizational culture, budget authority, and how your function is perceived at every level.
Call 911 First vs. Handle Internally First
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate one of the most critical — and most neglected — protocol decisions in church and organizational security: when something happens, what does your team do first? The answer must be written down and trained to before an incident, not decided in the moment.
Camera Quality vs. Price
Updated: 15 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate the real tradeoffs between camera quality and purchase price — covering resolution, low-light performance, storage requirements, and the long-term cost of choosing the wrong camera for your environment.
Access Badges vs. (Just) Keys
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether an electronic access badge system or traditional keys are the right credential solution for your organization — weighing cost, auditability, revocation speed, and the long-term management burden of each approach.
Cell Phone App vs. Radios
Updated: 14 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether a cell phone app or dedicated two-way radios are the right communication tool for your security team — weighing reliability, coverage, cost, battery life, and the operational realities of each in a real-world security environment.
Lock Doors Mid-Service vs. Open Doors
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether to lock your doors once a service begins or keep them open — weighing active-assailant best practices against the welcoming culture of a worship environment and the practical realities of staffing a door policy your team can actually enforce.
Single Controlled Entry vs. Open Campus
Updated: 15 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether funneling all traffic through a single controlled entry point — or maintaining an open, multi-door campus — is the right physical access posture for your organization, weighing security effectiveness, staffing requirements, and the practical realities of your facility layout.
Bag Screening vs. No Screening
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether your organization should have a bag screening policy at all — and under what circumstances it applies. Metal detectors and hand wands are just the tools; the real decision is whether you screen bags, when, and how to apply that policy consistently without making your congregation feel like suspects.
Volunteer Security Team vs. Contracted Guard
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether to staff your security function with volunteers from within your congregation or organization, hire contracted security guards, or use a combination of both — weighing relational knowledge, professional training, cost, liability, and long-term sustainability.
Paid Security Director vs. Volunteer Coordinator
Updated: 15 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate whether your security function should be led by a paid professional director or a volunteer coordinator — examining the tradeoffs in accountability, authority, training, and organizational commitment at different stages of a security program’s maturity.
Armed Security: Concealed Carry vs. Open Carry vs. Unarmed
Updated: 16 May 2026
This document is to help you evaluate all three armed security options in one place — concealed carry, open carry, and unarmed — including the critical legal distinction between a personal CCW permit and the licensing actually required to perform armed security work in most states.
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