Sheriff’s Office To Hold Church Safety And Security Workshop

April 26, 2013

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is inviting church leaders to attend a special conference on Church Safety and Security next month.

“Our places of worship should be regarded as safe havens where the community can worship and experience fellowship free from worries about violence, theft or unethical behavior,” says Sheriff David Morgan, “I encourage all citizens to arm themselves with the knowledge necessary to prevent fraud, theft and other crimes.”

The workshop is free and is designed to assist you in efforts to reduce crime in our places of worship and in our community. It will be held at the ECSO Main Administration Building, 1700 West Leonard Street on May 16 at 5:30 p.m.

To register, call Deputy Delarian Wiggins  at (850) 436-9496.

Comments

4 Responses to “Sheriff’s Office To Hold Church Safety And Security Workshop”

  1. David Huie Green on April 28th, 2013 9:51 am

    REGARDING:
    “So that’s a reason why I think it is a concern. The invitation was also for church leaders, not for leaders of churches, synagogues, mosques, covens or what ever.”

    His exact wording is in doubt but the quote includes: “Our places of worship should be regarded as safe havens where the community can worship and experience fellowship free from worries about violence, theft or unethical behavior,” which would not limit it to churches only.

    Surely you don’t think citizens stop having the right to protection stripped when they join churches or other places of worship. That would strip first amendment right to freedom of assembly.

    David for citizens armed with knowledge

  2. Henry Coe on April 26th, 2013 6:29 pm

    @the vapor, You said, “way off base in your interpretation of the line between Church and State”

    I mentioned several different aspects about that too include saying I found it ethically bothersome, which isn’t the same thing as saying it is wrong so with that in mind and the other things I mentioned, your comment lacks clarification.

    Politically it bothers me because I’ve seen Pastors, Preachers and staff at different churches use their lessons as a means of being politically adventitious just as I have seen politicians and Legislators trying to legislate their versions of morality and many of both have a belief that the Constitution is an extension of the Bible, so for them, they think what they believe based in faith or traditions should be reflected in the Constitution.

    So that’s a reason why I think it is a concern. The invitation was also for church leaders, not for leaders of churches, synagogues, mosques, covens or what ever.

    Having “churches” and their “Leaders” organizing through the Sheriff’s Office just has a bad ethical smell to it.

    If you are a Fundamentalist Conservative/Republican it is likely that you have a built in ideology to disagree with my concerns because neither Republicans or Fundamentalist would see any concerns about it

    Btw, if our Sheriff was Agnostic or had kept his beliefs out of politics, I would be less concerned, but he has used his beliefs in politicking so where that line is between church and state or how blurred it gets for for him other politicians and/or church leaders matters.

  3. the vapor on April 26th, 2013 4:13 pm

    Henry, you are way off base in your interpretation of the line between Church and State. A Church, like a secular organization, is made up of people from Escambia County. He has done this for other organizations. Being a “Church” does not disqualify you from Civic discourse.

  4. Henry Coe on April 26th, 2013 4:13 am

    I get the idea of education for crime prevention, but having my tax dollars being used to help organisation that enjoy a tax exempt status I fined to be ethically bothersome.

    I suppose that over time it probably will save the ECSO money and help communities too be better organized in fighting crime, but it seems to blur the line between church and state IMO.

    I like Sheriff Morgan and think he is doing a good job as Sheriff, but I’ve seen him blur, IMO, that same line between church and state in proselytizing at a Romney/Ryan campaign rally while in uniform.

    It is interesting too observe that folks on the Left as a whole, who care about the Constitution will for the most part avoid even the appearance of blurring that line between church and state as a matter of political ethics while folks on the Right will blur that line at every opportunity whether they think they are serving God or just using God and religion as political props. They may say they care about the Constitution, but it makes me question the validity for the oath of office they took and whom they serve.

    I’ve drifted from the topic a bit, but biblically speaking the only example I’m aware of for people in office serving God was Moses, who got out of working in government in order to serve God.