Washington County Churches Look To Ramp Up Security
Alternative content
Church Security Seminar
Church Security Seminar.
Ted Overbay/11 Connects
This July 27th will be a year since a lone gunman walked into the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville killing 2 people and injuring 7.
With church violence on the rise in recent years many area churches realize they are without a security plan.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Dillow-Taylor Funeral Home put on a special church security seminar at the the Jonesborough Visitors Center on Thursday night.
The topics ranged from locking church doors to what to do in the event of an intruder.
For a full video report of this story click on the link above.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Gone are the good old days when even the most hard core unbeliever reverenced the property set aside for church worship. Also gone “had better be” the order of the day for churches who refuse to secure their entrance ways. When do you determine to secure your doors? Many procrastinate until harm has been done, Then we have a reason to secure doors, but what if the injured is YOU!! The next time your church renews your insurance policy, you may be shocked to find they want to know how you are managing the risk.
Many churches are being pro-active with security teams, security monotoring systems, alarm systems, and yes, armed people who have proven their ability to use firearms.
There are a few who question others faith because they choose to be safe. How many of you have insurance on your house & vehicles and have yet to file a claim? Why not drop it until something happens. A police captain shared with me that “ When the drunks & dope heads learn about offerings lying out in plain view ready for the taking, these people will not hold-up a &/11 again. There are those who will hide in the building until the people are gone and then open the doors to their buddies who then ramsack the facilities destroying or removing thousands of dollars worth of equiptment.
One good thing…a church is private property and no permit is required here. Whether or not the church leadership wants to defend the general congregation by allowing strategically placed gun owners with demonstrated skills within the church is an issue only the church can answer. Self defense is basically a personal decision…defend yourself or submit to your killer! It’s sad these sort of things are happening, not just in churches, but everywhere. Since the church might keep wine for communion, does this make it a bar and fall under the draconian bans placed on restaurants? Oh boy…here we go again!!!
The right to defend yourself is granted in the document of our Constitution. Why be a sitting duck for someone wanting to kill you just because you are in church? God instructed the Jews to defend themselves against invading nations, so should we…in church or elsewhere.
Recently I have heard that many church goers are considering packing concealed guns. If an armed intruder enters the church there will be bullets flying everywhere when the congregation whips out their guns. Is this the solution?
Advertisement