The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) has convened a group of sheriffs and sheriffs’ personnel from across the state to develop training materials that will help places of worship create security plans to keep citizens safe during the holiday season.
“In today’s world, we must continue to make our citizens in our communities feel safe, no matter where they travel,” said Clinton County Sheriff Jeff Ward.
The group was established by Sheriffs Mark Bowen (Hamilton County), 2017 President of the ISA, at the suggestion of Sheriff Tim Troyer (Steuben County), 2017 ISA First Vice President, as a result of recent attacks at community gatherings and in places of worship in the US and abroad.
The group’s goal was to prepare materials to be used by sheriffs and their personnel to train places of worship to develop security plans designed to minimize harm done in the event of an active shooter.
“When you’re a sheriff, you have to be prepared for many different types of events in order to effectively protect the citizens that you serve. In light of the most recent attack in a Texas church, sheriffs have received requests to provide training at churches and other places of worship regarding appropriate security measures,” said Bowen.
The ISA Church Security Group is working to develop materials that all sheriffs’ offices in Indiana can use to provide training, upon request, to places of worship in their county. The training is designed to teach church personnel and members how to attempt to prevent critical incidents and how to react if a critical incident occurs during worship services.
“The training program will create awareness and prioritize safety for each individual,” said Ward.
Topics discussed in the training materials include:
- Conducting a Security Risk Assessment
- Developing a Place of Worship Security Plan
- What to do during the Critical Incident
- What to do immediately after the Critical Incident
- The need to provide Crisis Intervention Stress Management afterward
“The sheriffs of Indiana are dedicated to assisting the church and houses of worship in their counties with security and safety training to improve public safety across our state. A place of worship should be a place of peace and a safe haven,” said Bowen.
This week, the training materials were distributed to all 92 Indiana sheriffs for their use locally in their counties. Leaders of churches and places of worship who wish to learn about the training that is available in our county should contact Chief Deputy Joe Mink, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, at 765-659-6393.