Matt Melvin, Shelby Police Department's Crime Prevention Officer
On Thursday, September 3rd, "Partnership For Change" was held at the Don Gibson Theatre, in uptown Shelby. The event happened as the result of the recent event in Charleston, South Carolina when nine people were killed in a church.
"Partnership For Change" was a discussion loaded with information on how to protect churches from violence. Safety in churches has now taken on a new meaning. The turnout from invited church member guests was much larger than expected. There were over 150 in attendance wanting to learn how to protect and put a plan in place for their church.
The new phrase of the day was: "get your law enforcement involved and let them help you train to protect and make your place of worship safe." Simply stated, churches are no longer immune from terrorists. The program focused on "active shooters" - those individuals who are engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. These unpredictable events evolve quickly and demand knowing what to do to save lives.
There was an in depth discussion of the three options in case of an incident (run, hide and fight). A customized "get involved" plan is the best approach for all places of worship. The Shelby Police Department is to be commended for this timely and important program.
Chief of Police, Jeff Ledford began the "Partnership For Change" meeting by asking for prayers for the current "war on people who protect us". He also asked the audience if a few years ago had they ever worried about being safe in church. Now, religious gatherings are increasingly becoming targets of extremism.
After a few other remarks, Chief Ledford introduced Matt Melvin, Shelby Police Department's Crime Prevention Officer, who gave a 45 minute visual presentation on church safety. It was a very well thought out and attended program.
