Johnson City Police Department to Offer Second Free Security Seminar for Places of Worship

Johnson City Police Department to Offer Second Free Security Seminar for Places of Worship

The Johnson City Police Department held their first free security seminar for places of worship two years ago. On July 16, they will be offering their second free seminar at Memorial Park Community Center.

The Johnson City Police Department will be offering their second free seminar for church leaders looking to secure their facilities on July 16. The program was first held two years ago in conjunction with the FBI, and helped church leaders learn how to build security teams for their congregations.

“We feel it’s a good time to do it again,” JCPD Capt. Brian Rice said. “We’re inviting all religious institutions to attend the updated training.”

The first time the training was offered, it was developed in partnership with the FBI, The Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It was developed in order to show houses of worship how they can promote safety and security while staying welcoming.

“There was so much interest generated in the first training session, so we decided to do it again,” Rice said. “We had about 170 participate [in the 2017 program]. This is not designed for parishioners to attend. It’s geared toward church leaders and they can go back and implement their own church security program.”

According to data compiled by church security consultant Carl Chinn, there were 1706 deadly force deaths and incidents between the beginning of 1999 and the end of 2017.

The “House of Worship Security Program” will be held from 6-8 p.m. on July 16 at Memorial Park Community Center by JCPD and the FBI. The program is free to attend, but space is limited and registration is required. To register, interested participants should reach out to Heather Brack at (423) 434-6105 or [email protected]. Attendance should be limited to no more than four representatives per church.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Ensuring School Bus Safety: Tech-Driven Advancements and Their Impact on Student Transportation

    Parents and school districts have always shared one fundamental, non-negotiable goal: to keep students safe while traveling to and from school. Period. Read Now

  • How Campus Security Became an Art of Disappearing

    Walk across any university campus at 8:47 a.m. on a Tuesday, and you'll witness something remarkable. Thousands of students stream through buildings, carrying everything from vintage MacBooks to oversized coffee cups, lost in conversations about weekend plans or upcoming exams. If the right weapons detection is in place, most will never notice the sophisticated security measures protecting them. This invisibility can represent the highest achievement in modern campus security design. Read Now

  • Torrance USD Standardizes Its Mass Communications

    The Torrance Unified School District is a cornerstone of the Torrance, Calif. community, dedicated to providing a high-quality education that prepares students for success in college, career, and life. Serving a diverse student population, Torrance USD delivers a comprehensive and enriching educational experience from kindergarten through high school. The school district comprises 17 elementary, eight middle, and five high schools, one continuation high school, and one alternative high school.  Read Now

  • How a Rural School District Enhanced Safety, Reduced Vaping, and Improved Efficiency by Modernizing Security

    As educational leaders, our primary mission is creating safe, productive learning environments where our students can thrive. Today, that unfortunately means addressing ever-evolving challenges that range from security threats to the growing epidemic of student vaping, all while managing tight budgets and (for many of us) geographically dispersed facilities. Read Now