Texas Sheriff’s Department Adds Churches to Sunday Patrols

Texas Sheriff’s Department Adds Churches to Sunday Patrols

In light of recent attacks on houses of worship, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office has added local churches to its Sunday patrols.

In light of recent attacks on houses of worship, Sheriff Brian Thomas of the Potter County Sheriff’s Office has added local churches to his team’s Sunday patrols. The goal is to help keep churches and other faith-based institutions safe.

"Majority of the community is at a church on Sunday morning, majority of Amarillo is at church on Sunday morning," Deputy Danielle Garth said.

Garth said going to churches helps add a layer of security and safety for worshippers, but also helps her get to know the community better.

"This is where community is and our communities love to see us out here," Garth said. "They feel safe, they feel protected by us when we are out here. They tell us that all the time and it’s good to hear, it makes you feel like you are doing your job and it just makes you happy that you are making a difference."

Thomas said the ride-bys are mostly a deterrent against those who would target houses of worship.

"We are just trying to be the sheep dogs over the flock and make sure the wolves don’t get in," Thomas said.

Thomas said he personally reached out to pastors and other church leaders to let them know about the police patrols. He said he’s received a positive response so far.

"We got all excited about it because it gives us an extra shield of protection. It’s also a deterrent," said Alan Burkhalter, senior pastor at Chaparral Hills Baptist Church. "We appreciate the Sheriff because what he’s doing is giving us peace before the fact."

Many Potter County churches have security and safety teams already in place, but the Sheriff’s Department patrols serve as an extra layer.

"Their presence and them being out here just means the world to the church," said Jeff Ponder, senior pastor at the Church at Bushland. "It gave a lot of confidence to our security team, and a lot of confidence to our people."

Garth said that working together with the churches gives her and her coworkers the ability to build relationships while they serve as a secure presence. If anything were to happen, they’d know where to go and who to speak with.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Expanding Mobile Access Credentials

    The new academic year is now kicking into high gear at colleges and universities, and on many campuses, students were welcomed this fall with the added convenience and security of mobile access credentials. It is a trend that has become more of an expectation than a surprise in the world of higher education as the demand for advancements in electronic access control (EAC) like mobile credentials continues to grow. Read Now

  • New York School District Selects AtlasIED’s IPX Technology for Modernization Initiative

    The North Syracuse Central School District (NSCSD), a K-12 public school district in Central New York state, serves the communities of North Syracuse, Clay, Cicero, Bridgeport, and Mattydale. With 11 elementary, middle, and high schools, the district covers almost 90 square miles and has 7,792 students and approximately 700 teachers. With some of its school buildings over 60 years old, the district needed to renovate many of them, some more urgently than others. As part of the process, district administrators and staff reevaluated all infrastructure elements and their approach to campus safety, selecting AtlasIED IPX technology to modernize their intercom, audio announcements, and emergency communications systems. Read Now

Webinars