Easter in Jakarta - Church Security - Police

From: The Jakarta Post

The Jakarta Police will deploy about 4,300 officers to guard 1,129 churches, especially those prone to threats of forced closure or attacks, in Greater Jakarta on Sunday when they hold Easter services.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Saturday that the officers would come from police forces at all levels in Greater Jakarta, with additional personnel coming from the Jakarta Public
Order Agency.

“Police officers have been maintaining security at all churches in their respective jurisdictions since Thursday until Sunday afternoon,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Click for Article

Security At Church: On this Easter Sunday's I thought it would be helpful to remember what other nations are struggling with in order to celebrate Easter Sunday in peace!

Police Officer Leaves Gun in Church by Mistake

From: Associated Press

A law enforcement officer visiting a church in Lebanon got sick in the bathroom, put his gun on a shelf and didn't retrieve it.

The Rev. Frank Moloney of First Christian Church tells the Albany Democrat-Herald church members found the handgun the next morning, Sunday.

For a time, Moloney says, they believed it belonged to a homeless man who slept in the parking lot and had used the bathroom Sunday morning.

But during the Sunday service, church leaders spoke about finding a "very expensive item," and the deputy claimed the handgun.

Click for Article

FOX News: POLICE STANDOFF: Gunman Shoots School Bus Driver, Snatches Child

From: Fox News
The Alabama man police say shot and killed a school bus driver Tuesday in an attempt to kidnap a 6-year-old boy has been hunkered down for hours with the child in an underground bunker on his remote property, The Dothan Eagle, a local newspaper, reported.

The paper reported that neighbors in Midland City, which is in south Alabama, identified the suspect as Jimmy Lee Dykes, 67. Police have not officially released the suspect's identity.

Click for Article:
POLICE STANDOFF: Gunman Shoots School Bus Driver, Snatches Child.

Police call for Increase in Church Security - St. Louis Mayor Comments

From: KMOV 

Police call for local churches to increase security after latest robbery!

A robbery at an East St. Louis church is just the latest in a string of crimes at churches, places thought would be sacred ground and off limits to criminals.

Since a man with mental problemsshot the pastor of Maryville Baptist church four years ago, crime at churches across the nation has shot up 527 percent, according to a Missouri company that provides security advice and training to churches...

“It’s just totally, totally unacceptable to have someone there for a worship experience being robbed,” said East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks.

Click for Article and Video

Fire Damages Church - San Diego - Suspected Arsonist Arrested

From: Los Angeles Times

A 38-year-old man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of arson, burglary and committing a hate crime in an early-morning fire that did $250,000 damage to a church near El Cajon, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said

Click for Article

Stolen Church Van Crashes into building

From: WAVY News

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Portsmouth Police say a man stole a church van on Sunday then crashed it into a downtown building.

Jan Clark with the Portsmouth Police Department said an officer saw the van hit a pole in the 600 block of High Street and tried to stop the suspect. The suspect sped off and crashed into a building in the 800 block of High Street.

It happened all while Brigid White and her family were at mass at Saint Paul's Catholic Church. White says looking at the crash scene it's hard to believe this happened to her family's car.

Click for Article

Breaking News: Four dead in hostage-taking in Aurora, Colorado

From: Reuters

Four people were dead including the gunman following a hostage-taking on Saturday in Aurora, Colorado, the same town where a gunman shot dead 12 people and wounded 58 more at a movie theater last July, KUSA television reported.

Click for Article

Note: This hostage situation did not take place at a place of worship; however, given recent events I felt that it was still important to report. 

Security Changes Coming to Church Hall Where 3 Were Shot

From: The Daily Journal

VINELAND — Police are looking for a “lone shooter” who injured two women and a man with gunfire when a Christmas party inside a rented church hall turned violent early Wednesday morning.

Representatives of St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church, which owns the West Wheat Road social hall, said the event was a private party that wasn’t attended by its parishioners. New security measures will go into effect there next week, they said.

Click for Article

Breaking News! Church Shooting, Pennsylvania, 4 Dead

From: CBS Pittsburgh

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) — Emergency officials are on the scene of a deadly shooting in Frankstown Township, in Blair County.

Right now, sources tell KDKA-TV that four people are dead, and three Pennsylvania State Troopers were also hurt, but are expected to be okay.

Sources say at least part of the shooting took place at the Juniata Valley Gospel Church.

Click for More

Additional Information on Louisville Church Shooting

From: WDRB News

A bible study and at least one soccer game was taking place inside and outside the church at the time of the shooting, several people told WDRB News.

One person inside the church ran out and screamed, "Run!" to players taking part in a soccer game.

About 10 to 20 people were inside the church when the shooter opened fire. Police spent several hours interviewing each of them after the shooting.

About 10 to 20 people were inside the church at the time of the shooting. LMPD police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley credits the retired police officer who arrested Hindi with keeping things from getting much worse.

"Fortunately, despite this tragedy, there was a retired LMPD officer who was also at the church at the time that this occurred. What he did was subdue that person, he was able to detain him until our officers arrived".

Read More: http://www.wdrb.com/story/19479169/police-one-person-dead-another-critically-injured-in-church-shooting

My Thoughts: When I originally posted an article about this shooting I did not realize that church events were also taking place during the time of the shooting. I was under the impression that the complete building was being rented out by a local homeowners association. As you can read above, multiple church related events were occurring inside the building during the shooting!

I want to draw your attention to the last line from the story above. This tragedy could have been much worse if there was not a retired police officer present that was able to subdue the shooter. Similar to other events like the New Life church shooting in Colorado, a quick response from onsite security staff, stopped the event from being much worse! 

You are not going to be able to prevent everything; however, having a plan in place to reduce the outcome of a tragic event is still a good plan!

Ushers Stop Purse-Snatching in Pittsburgh Church

From: Fox News

PITTSBURGH – A man who claims to be a heroin addict has been jailed on charges he snatched a woman's purse while she was taking communion during Mass at a Pittsburgh church.

Pittsburgh police say parishioners, including the off-duty chief of the Port Authority of Allegheny County police, tackled 31-year-old Eric Csurilla on Sunday morning and held him until officers arrived.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/10/ushers-stop-purse-snatching-in-pittsburgh-church/?test=latestnews#ixzz264a2XAaq

My Thoughts: Although short, this is a great article! Ushers & greeters are often your first line of defense in a church setting. Many churches do not have the ability to have a trained security team; however, by providing a little extra training to the ushers and greeters you are one step in the right direction. Larger churches that do have security teams should still incorporate their ushers and greeters into their overall plan. 

Breaking: Shooting at Sikh Temple in Wisconsin

Breaking News...

From: Fox News

At least four people were shot Sunday at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, the Journal Sentinel reports.

A police SWAT team entered the building before noon, and escorted uninjured people out of the building and away from the shooting scene.

According to the paper, there could be as many as 30 victims; among those shot was the president of the temple.

One person was in critical condition, according to reports.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/05/possible-injuries-after-shooting-at-sikh-temple-in-wisconsin/#ixzz22hL7dtnT

Church Members & Oakland Police Pursuit

From: KTVU

{OAKLAND, Calif. — An Oakland congregation was transformed into crime fighters Sunday night when the suspect involved in a police pursuit crashed in front of the church and raced inside in an attempt to elude police.}

Read More: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/church-members-subdue-oakland-police-pursuit-suspe/nPpp8/

San Francisco Police Clear Occupied Church Building

From: The San Francisco Chronicle

{San Francisco police and sheriff's officers arrested 26 people early Wednesday when they cleared out a vacant building that Occupy protesters had claimed as their own the day before...

Several hundred protesters marched to Turk Street on Tuesday afternoon, scaled a chain-link fence and swarmed into the building, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. They said they intended to turn the building into a homeless shelter.}

Click for Article

Case Closed - Police Solve Stafford VA Church Thefts

From: Stafford Country Sun

{STAFFORD — A 24-year-old man has been arrested for thefts that occurred recently at three Stafford County churches.

Bryan Christopher Stevens, of no fixed address, was charged with three counts of breaking and entering, three counts of grand larceny, obstruction of justice, unlawful entry and theft of services, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.}

Click For Full Article