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Law enforcement train for active shooter response at churches
Coweta County Sheriff's Office deputies familiarized themselves with layouts of churches and schools in three full-scale exercises.
NEWNAN, Ga. - With the holidays here, law enforcement is beefing up security around houses of worship. Many agencies, like the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, are conducting full-scale active shooter training at churches.
It’s not a pleasant topic, but security and active shooter response is a conversation church leaders and law enforcement are having in many communities. FBI statistics show violence at American houses of worship has increased.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office held training at Southside Church in Newnan this week.
"If there are 100 churches in your jurisdiction, there are 100 different layouts, were the nursery is out where the kids are going to be. Where is the auditorium at? The more we are familiar with that the better everyone is going to be," said Coweta County Sheriff’s Sgt. Toby Nix.
The active shooter training at Southside Church is one of three full-scale exercises the sheriff’s office is conducting, the other two are at schools.
"We want to be familiar with as many facilities in our jurisdiction as possible. So, that should something happen, we’ve been inside here before," said Sgt. Nix. "We have makeup artists come in, we have role players, simulation rounds. If you are not taking this type of training seriously, you are doing a disservice to your agency and to your community."
In Coweta County, this training couples with a program called Defending the Flock, where deputies meet with church leaders to provide tips to make sure their services are as safe as possible.