11.23.2018
3 churches, 3 approaches: Pastors talk about church security
3 churches, 3 approaches: Pastors talk about church security
(As originally published on April 8, 2018)
(As originally published on April 8, 2018)
Off-duty officers. Do-it-yourself systems. Alert eyes of deacons. Training drills.
The plans vary, but the goal is the same: Keep the congregation safe.
The Town Talk spoke with three local pastors about how they approach security at their churches. They shared their thoughts on the broader topic, how they settled on a plan and what the future might hold.
Chad Stecker
The devil is in the details, says Pastor Chad Stecker.
Security is a topic that involves all members of Arise Church. A security plan was implemented about two years ago at the small Tioga church, and Stecker wants everyone to have situational awareness.
“That to me was the most important thing,” he said. “You can implement all kinds of stuff, but if a church does not as a whole have situational awareness, everything you’re implementing really is, maybe not nullified, but it’s not maximized.”
The church has about 90 members and sees 60 to 65 of those on any given Sunday. And while the congregation knows security is in place, they don’t know exactly who is on the church’s security team or who is carrying a concealed weapon.
“The devil’s in the details, as well. My premise of my sermon this Sunday … is that the devil’s in the details of our sins and mistakes when God is the details of our redemption and future,” said Stecker during a January interview. “So, we have to be very careful when we give details because it could actually do more harm than good. And so, as a whole congregation, we talk about security.”
At the time of the interview, Stecker was facing the unknown because of an incident just days before. He was trying to show to his father a new handgun, and ended up shooting himself point-blank in the palm of his left hand.
Doctors said it would take time before they knew what might happen to his hand. On March 29, Stecker said he'll be having surgery in April so doctors can amputate a finger and reconstruct the hand.
But the shooting hasn't changed his approach to security. He does say he shouldn't have been handling a gun on that January night because he was both upset over the loss of a friend and excited about the arrival of his parents from Colorado.
He wasn't focused on safety, he admits. He credits his father for tending to him as they waited for medical personnel to arrive. His parents still were there, watching over some of his five children, as he walked through his church to talk about the measures he and the leadership have put in place.
In addition to situational awareness and the security team, the church purchased a security system from Amazon that allows Stecker to control who has access to the building from the cellphone he held in his left hand.
Members can exit from inside the building, but the doors will remain locked from the outside. The system means the church no longer has to worry about using keys to get in and out of the building.
“When someone leaves the church, if they took the keys, we no longer have to change the locks on all the doors because they don’t have that," said Stecker. "I can remove them from the system.”
It also allows him to tailor who can have access to the building and on what days.
“Things we do, a small church can do," he said.
But it all comes back to situational awareness, he insisted. The church is planning to begin quarterly drills that will involve the congregation on different scenarios — active shooter, fire. He compared it to military drills, saying members need to practice for such scenarios in the church environment.
"So if a gunman comes in the back, this is what we do: no panic, drop down. We have people in place to take care of this,” said Stecker. "We’re actually preparing the church to be successful when we practice this.”
Joseph Martin
Pastor Joseph Martin Jr. is a retired Marine Corps colonel, an Alexandria Senior High School teacher and a pastor. And he doesn’t want weapons in his church or on its grounds.
That’s not to say that church security isn’t a concern for him and his church, Second Union Missionary Baptist Church in Alexandria. The 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in which white supremacist Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people attending a Bible study, made it an issue for them.
Such shootings might not happen that often, but they can’t be ignored, he said. In fact, he said any church or organization that meets regularly without thinking about security is negligent.
But Martin says he’s confident that he, his board of trustees and deacons have an adequate security plan in place.
After Charleston, for which Roof was sentenced to death in 2017, deacons began carrying hand-held radios that make communication easier. They patrol the church and are positioned at various places around the property.
Surveillance cameras were installed, along with screens that allow those inside to monitor activity outside and inside the church, which has a membership of about 350. People coming into the church are greeted as they come to the door.
Martin attended a December meeting hosted by the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office on the topic. He said opinions were divided among the pastors and church leaders about having weapons either inside churches or on church properties.
“I’m certainly one that doesn’t want to have any arms inside,” said Martin, who has been ASH’s Marine Corps JROTC instructor since he retired from active duty in 2000.
He believes the liability of having weapons either inside or outside the church is too great. He said the church knows about the shootings within the past few years and is concerned about them, but he said “knee-jerk reactions” aren’t the answer.
He’s confident that members could handle a situation and alert law enforcement. Martin also believes it’s good to communicate with law enforcement. He and others from his church attended the December meeting and looks forward to more meetings like it.
In addition to his military experience, several other members of his church are retired military. One currently serves with the Louisiana National Guard. The church has put that expertise to work in developing its security plan.
What’s important for Martin is that he knows his members are vigilant “about our surroundings and just try to make sure that we can protect those people who come in and want to worship God.
“One of the biggest things is you just have to some people out there who will be vigilant and know what to look for. From my military training, and from what I have seen, I believe that you can pretty much pick out somebody … if they’re coming there to serve the Lord or they’re coming for some ulterior motive, I think you can pretty much pick some of those people out.”
Still, Martin agrees with those who might say it’s sad that church leaders must take this approach “especially in God’s house, but that’s just the times that we live in.
You have some people now that don’t respect anything, and so you’ve got to be vigilant. You’ve just got to be vigilant.”
James Greer
Journey Church had a security plan in place long before the topic became hot, says Pastor James Greer. It's been a part of the Pineville church's growth plan for years.
“I just thank the Lord we were ahead of the curve,” said Greer, also paraphrasing a Bible verse that calls for being as wise as a serpent yet gentle as a dove.
Greer says Journey has had organized security for five to six years before church shooting incidents began happening. During the passing years, they’ve increased training and have placed people throughout the sanctuary and in the parking lot.
The church has a large campus with several buildings off Donahue Ferry Road in Pineville. It recently opened a campus in Alexandria in the former Economy Boots building on MacArthur Drive.
Greer said he’s glad to see more churches training and putting security plans in place.
“We want all the training we can get, and we do do that,” he said. “Our goal is for that to never happen, but if it does pray that their goal is that can stop them.”
Most of the congregation probably wasn’t aware of the security measures for the first three years, said Greer. But now it’s common knowledge because the concept is more acceptable now.
He also agreed with experts who say, if an incident is going to happen at a church, it’s likely to stem from a domestic issue. He said those who work with youth at the church must undergo background checks. Church employees deal with people are undergoing custody issues, too.
“Everyone is gonna deal with it, at one time or another.”
Journey Executive Pastor Josh Poe said there’s about 30 people on the church’s security team. They have a Facebook group, conduct annual training and do walkthroughs on the campus of different situations.
The group includes some law enforcement members who also are church members.
The church also has started hiring off-duty Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputies to handle some duties. That was part of the security plan, said Poe, a decision that went into effect when the congregation hit 1,000 members.
It happened right around the time of the Sutherland Springs shooting, he said.
“We’re hitting 1,000 every Sunday and we just felt like that was our next step in security for us,” he said.
Greer said he’s “excited and proud” that the church has a good security team. He credits them with going beyond their duties, like meeting up with him and staying with him even when not required.
“They make me feel better,” he said.
Training to protect the flock means hard choices
Training to protect the flock means hard choices
(As originally published on April 8, 2018)
(As originally published on April 8, 2018)
What Bradley Marr told preachers to do likely went against everything that called them to their pulpits.
Talk that shooter into killing himself, and don't waste time about it.
“Because what happens when police encounter bad guys in a mass shooting? What does he do? He kills his stinkin’ self. You want him to die, right there, right now, as fast as possible. I know I’m talking to a bunch of preachers; that’s OK. I’d rather him be dying than your congregation be dying.”
And a few "amens" rang back among other murmured approvals from the crowd.
The talk by Marr, chief deputy of the Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office, happened in late November 2017 before approximately 200 pastors and church leaders at the First Baptist Church of Leesville. In the wake of the Sutherland Springs, Texas, shooting that killed 25 people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child, the topic of church security went public.
Nathan Martin, a pastor and Pineville city council member, said every pastor he knows is taking the issue very seriously and has some manner of plan already in place.
"Some are hiring off-duty officers, while others are utilizing congregation members who are also law enforcement officers. And some are identifying and authorizing members who have concealed-carry permits," he said.
Though not new discussions, Martin said recent shootings have pastors eager to reassure their congregations that security is important.
Similar meetings have been held in Concordia, Rapides and Sabine parishes. The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office began offering church security classes, a mandatory step required to carry weapons in church under Louisiana law.
Marr spoke about the law to the Vernon group, but didn't seem to be a fan. Legislators failed to include a training curriculum with the law, he said. It does require that church leaders notify their congregations and insurance carriers about weapons in churches, however.
Those who do carry in churches must have a concealed carry permit. About half of Marr's audience had the permits, which requires them to pass an eight-hour training course.
But, he asked, are you willing to use that weapon to end a life?
Marr said even some law enforcement officers, sure that they are capable of engaging in a gunfight, resign after their first one. That's not a reflection on the type of person they are, he said.
"Some people can; some people can't."
'Guardian of the flock'
He also asked whether they counseled church members having relationship or marital problems. Again, about half the group raised their hands.
"The stats say that those are the people that's going to cause your mass killings. Domestic violence is the No. 1 reason that people shoot up everything," said Marr. "Sutherland Springs, Texas ... that's exactly what it was about."
How can such a thing happen, he asked. Because they didn't have a plan and haven't trained for it, he answered.
"You're the guardian of the flock," he told the group. "You're the one that's going to have to take care of business in the church because if you're not the leader, and you're not trying to do something, the congregation's just gonna follow."
Marr stressed that church leaders must have a plan to respond to incidents and must train for them with role players. Know where exits are. Make sure windows can be opened for escape and that they are free of things that can impede that.
"Do you do that?" he asked. "Do you make walk-arounds of your church to see what's there? Something to think about."
He said such things are common sense, but not common knowledge.
'Leave church at the door'
The Grant Sheriff's Office has offered a church security course at regular intervals since late 2017. In each one, instructors strive to make their students realize the seriousness of what they're undertaking.
"We're here to learn how to kill people," said Capt. James Watkins. Leave church at the door for this training, they're told.
Groups train at Man Cave Archery in Bentley. On Good Friday, a group of about 12 is split in half. Some will go to the range for live-fire training, while the others will receive classroom instruction. Later in the day, they'll flip.
But each class begins by watching an "Inside Edition" clip about those who died and those who survived the Sutherland Springs shooting. As it rolls, and a narrator talks about a mother who shielded her children with her body, some shake their heads.
Sgt. Joshua Daniels, an instructor, says the video still brings him to tears and makes his skin crawl.
"That church was in a community like Georgetown, Bentley," he says. "People lost their lives because they weren't prepared."
Daniels completed a church security and home protection course offered by the National Rifle Association, as did his wife, Kiley Daniels. They both teach the concealed carry and church security courses in Grant Parish.
"It gives us a chance to get both women and men. Some women aren't comfortable with men teaching," said Kiley, and vice versa. "It gives us the advantage to help them."
The courses have been exceedingly popular in Grant Parish. The first ones filled up shortly after they were announced, and the classes have been offered since.
Those taking the class are told they have choices to make about how to carry while in church. They're told to train as often as they can, and to realize that they're not going to church on Sunday to hear the word of the Lord.
They're there to protect those who come to worship. They have to be willing to run to a shooter while everyone else is running away and be trained well enough to shoot the right person.
On the range
Man Cave Archery is in Bentley, off La. Highway 8. The range is well away from the classroom and, on Good Friday, running water from torrential rains the day before still flows between students and the shooting line.
Owner Stephen Briggs hooks a trailer up to an all-terrain vehicle to get the six people across the water. Watkins tells them they'll be starting with a confidence building exercise, shooting 24 rounds at targets from 10 yards.
It's also an opportunity for Watkins and Deputy Vic Lemoine to assess the skills of the two women and four men shooting.
Lemoine tells them to take their time. Don't try to shoot fast because, as the distance grows from the target, accuracy will suffer. He also tells them to keep in mind why they're training.
"Just keep in mind the scenario because, in a church setting, if something like this happens ... with an active shooter, you're going to have people running everywhere," he said. "You don't want to hit someone innocent, so you need to focus on ... that smooth trigger pull and be accurate. Not fast."
"I know you're getting a lot of information," said Watkins. "It's like drinking water from a fire hose."
After the first round of firing, Lemoine tells a man on the far right that his shots are straying to the left. He spends a few minutes with the man to show him a better technique.
Meanwhile, Watkins tallies up the scores on the targets. "Good shooting," he says to the man on the far left.
The group then steps back to shoot from 15 yards. One woman has trouble, so Watkins stands slightly behind her on her left, talking her through it.
"Grab that slide. Jerk it to the rear," he says, as the gun clicks. "There you go. Remember your grip."
The woman begins to shoot, firing three shots before stopping.
"Breathe. You've got to breathe," he whispers.
'Lockdowns taught us to die'
There's no one perfect security plan to fit all churches, said Marr. But he did urge leaders to use the expertise that might be right under their noses — law enforcement or veterans who attend their churches.
They can help with security assessments and measures on their church campuses, he said. It's a necessity because police probably will arrive at an active-shooter incident after the shooting is over, he said.
Take Vernon Parish. Marr said there are four patrolmen and a supervisor working on any given Sunday, covering 1,328 square miles of a mostly rural parish. A murmur rippled through the crowd as the realization sunk in of what that could mean for response times.
"How long do you think it's gonna take someone to get there to take care of the threat for you?" he asked.
A response tactic used across the country — ALICE, or Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate — isn't perfect, he said. Marr was critical of lockdowns, saying they only work if the bad guy can't get inside.
A better strategy is to flee, if possible. "If you hear gunfire, and you can get away, you get away," he said. "Don't sit there and crawl under your desk. Ever. Ever.
"Lockdowns taught us to die," he said.
Locking down and locking in are two different things, said Marr. He mentioned several simple ways to make sure doors can't be breached.
He also urged leaders to plan for meeting responding officers, reminding them that anyone spotted with a weapon will be perceived as a threat. You may be trying to tell the officer that you just shot the bad guy, but — to that officer, in that instant — you are the bad guy, said Marr.
"If you haven't thought about that, start thinking about it now," he said. "If you have armed people in your church, you have to think what you're going to do with first contact with law enforcement. We are going to be rude, business-like and not very friendly."
Future plans
The cooperation between churches and law enforcement will continue.
The Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office had plans to offer the church security course, like the one in Grant, at some point. Sheriff Sam Craft also told attendees at the November meeting that his office would help church leaders with security assessments at their campuses.
Then, on June 19, the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office will host an active-shooter preparedness workshop at the Granberry Conference Center in Pineville.
"We want everybody on the same page and, if they want further training, we can look into ways to offer that at the level the organization decides they need," said Capt. Tommy Carnline, Rapides' public information officer.
Sherell Lewis' friend 'forgives' Matthew Martin for fatal crash
Sherell Lewis' friend 'forgives' Matthew Martin for fatal crash
(As originally published on June 1, 2018)
(As originally published on June 1, 2018)
Only hours after the death of his friend, Dominic Hackett began to receive screenshots of Snapchats allegedly made by the driver who hit and killed Sherell Lewis Jr., of Leesville.
Within a day, the images went viral. Social media users wanted the driver, 18-year-old Matthew W. Martin, of Hineston, arrested and worse. While still at the scene of the crash on U.S. Highway 171, Matthew had used a racial slur to describe Lewis and seemed more concerned with the condition of his truck than anything else.
Hackett's first reaction?
“Aw man. I was mad at first," he said. "I was very mad.”
Hackett and Lewis grew up together, and Hackett said they were like brothers, closer even, despite their age difference. Lewis was 31; Hackett is 26.
Hackett said Lewis was positive and kind-hearted. He had a passion for music of all genres and for clothes, hair and shoes — "He was always buying shoes." — and could change the mood of a room just by walking into it.
Hackett said he always could count on great advice from Lewis, whom he met through his older brother.
Now, he mourns Lewis with the rest of his family, friends and community.
"A lot of people are hurt by it. The community is hurt by it," he said.
Louisiana State Police investigators are continuing their investigation into the incident, which happened when Lewis and another pedestrian were removing wood from the right southbound lane of the four-lane highway. It had fallen out of a vehicle in front of them on the highway, said Hackett.
That Lewis was helping a complete stranger, and on his 31st birthday, doesn't surprise Hackett. That's just the kind of man he was, he says.
Hackett got a call after a friend's mother drove up to the scene and realized that Lewis was the victim. He and others were told Lewis was being sent to Alexandria in an ambulance, but soon got another call telling them the ambulance was turning around.
Lewis was dead.
'I forgive him'
Once the images began to be shared, people began to bombard state police, the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office and other agencies to demand justice. The Leesville Police Department responded to a Twitter user who mistakenly thought Lewis had been hit by one of their officers.
Many people have demanded that Martin, who apparently has scrubbed his Snapchat account, be charged with a hate crime, prompting Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft to issue a statement Wednesday. What Martin allegedly wrote is "appalling," but isn't a crime, said the sheriff.
The outcry prompted state police on Thursday to release more information, saying it had interviewed the stranger Lewis was helping and two other witnesses. Hackett says he has faith in the process.
He knows how far the story has spread, saying he's had messages of support from across the country and even the world. He says that, right now, he believes what happened was an accident. But he can't understand how Martin would have no remorse.
"My friend’s life is not replaceable,” he said. "For you to kill someone and right after you hit him, you’re on Snapchat? That just shows you have no concern."
He imagined himself in that situation. He'd immediately try to help, said Hackett.
"But your main concern is your truck? It makes you question if it was on purpose or not."
Still, Hackett says he has forgiven Martin even though some of his friends think he's crazy.
"I forgive him," he said. "I could meet him right now and shake his hand."
What he hopes is that Martin and others learn something. He said he knows that is what Lewis would want to happen.
"Learn from this experience what your words can really do. The tongue is a dangerous weapon,” said Hackett. "Be smarter, man.”
When asked how he could forgive, he admitted that his reaction would have been different even a year ago. But Hackett said having a child has changed him, and he credited his parents for raising him right.
He also said it wasn't his place to judge Martin. You never know why someone is the way they are, so you can only pray for them and forgive them, he said.
Lewis's death a blow to community
Lewis' death has left a void. He was engaged to be married, said Hackett, and he had a sister with whom he shared a close relationship. He also leaves behind a business that he only recently inherited from a longtime Leesville barber, the Rev. Clarence "Sonny Boy" Holden, who died in 2017.
"That shop was his life. He loved it," he said. "He hated missing work for anything in the world.”
Hackett described the shop as a community institution, and said he's committed to seeing it remain open even if he has to quit his own job. And, thanks to the generosity of the Leesville business community, that might be a bit easier now.
An effort is underway to remodel the shop at no cost to Lewis' family. Lowe's Home Improvement of Leesville employees who want to help will be granted paid time off, while The Affordable Handyman will be donate its services.
Lowe's will raise money to buy the materials, said Carlisha McLaurin, a friend of the family. Lewis cut her son's hair for the past two years, she said.
Hackett reiterated that he wanted something positive to come from Lewis' death, that he hoped it might change lives for the better.
"Watch what you say. Pay attention when driving," said Hackett. "Sherell was a good guy. He was one of those people; he liked changing people’s lives.
"He would want it to have a positive effect on others."
Advocate becomes part of team at Alexandria Police Department
Advocate becomes part of team at Alexandria Police Department
(As originally published on June 29, 2018)
(As originally published on June 29, 2018)
Beth Ponthier wasn't sure whether detectives would accept her when she began working as the Alexandria Police Department's crime victims advocate.
She needn't have worried, though. The detectives welcomed her into the position, funded by a grant, and asked lots of questions about what she was and wasn't comfortable doing.
Ponthier steps in where detectives might not always be comfortable. They're trained to investigate crimes. Most don't have specialized training in how to comfort or provide assistance to victims.
But Ponthier holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Louisiana State University of Alexandria and a master's degree in human services counseling with a focus in marriage and families therapies from Liberty University.
She knew the job was tailored for her the moment she, quite accidentally, found out about it.
“I was at home with my kids at the time," she said. "I wasn’t really actively looking for anything."
A friend told her she needed to contact Hugh Bryan, the licensed psychologist in Alexandria who has the contract to administer the grant with the city of Alexandria. He explained to her what the job was about.
She realized it was “right up my alley.”
The idea of adding a victims' advocate at the department started with former Chief Loren Lampert. He approached Cpl. Wade Bourgeois, the public information officer, about applying for a grant to fund it.
That process and getting it through the necessary approvals with city government took some time. Ponthier was hired in August 2017, but didn't begin working in the department until January.
She primarily works with with the victims of violent crimes — homicides, attempted homicides, rapes, domestic violence — or their families. She has access to incident reports and reaches out to victims.
"It's not always easy," said Ponthier. Some victims — particularly ones of domestic violence — don't leave good contact information with officials.
She's also there to assist people through the judicial process, going to court dates with them and explaining how the process works. She can help victims and families craft victim impact statements and pass along information to judges that they believe is vital.
“Just having someone that they would be comfortable with sitting there with them, that understands," she said. "A lot of times, you’ll have victims that are sitting in the courtroom. They have their family. They have a support system with them, but their family doesn’t really understand either.”
And it can be difficult when victims aren't satisfied with what happens with cases. Ponthier called that an "unfortunate" thing that does happen. She tries to explain why to them.
Both Ponthier and Bourgeois believe having a victims advocate is becoming the accepted practice for police departments. Ponthier said she visited her counterparts at the New Orleans Police Department in March and brought back some great ideas to try here.
Bourgeois said anything that can help improve police interaction with victims is good. Detectives carry tremendous case loads, so having an advocate in the department allows them to focus on the investigations.
Ponthier views it as a team effort.
“There are times that they’ll maybe say a little more to me, especially female victims,” she said.
She said she hasn't been surprised by anything she's experienced on the job. She described herself as a realist who is excited about the opportunity. But she said she knew the possibility of reaching and making a difference for every victim was "slim to none."
It's hard to reach victims of domestic violence who aren't ready to move past the bad relationships, she said. She knows that stems from their fears or because they saw the same thing while growing up.
That's not surprising, but it is disappointing, said Ponthier. Still, she thinks her job could be a starting point in reaching those victims. She's told victims who have been in her office that their situation is not OK or normal, that the abuser likely will do it again and maybe try to kill them.
“They’ve never had that bluntness, for somebody to come out and say, this isn’t right. This isn’t normal," she said. "You deserve more than this. There is more than this. For some of them, it is the first time they’ve heard someone be candid and honest with them.”
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