More than 200 Maricopans spent their Saturday morning learning how to keep their parishioners safe in an emergency.
Maricopa Police Department hosted a non-denominational House of Worship security training on Jan. 31 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints near Bowlin and Hartman Roads. The purpose of the event was to provide an overview of safety issues and how to mitigate them.
That’s what enticed leadership from Be Community Church to attend. Ministry Leader Antwan Vaughn said he and a few others arrived to “get a better understanding on how to protect our congregants and everyone in the community.”
Ministry Leader Amber Vaughn said that some people may misinterpret security present with a lack of faith, but it’s more about wisdom.
“God wants us to be wise, and wisdom is understanding that there are bad people that can come into places of worship,” she said. “This is a free place where the sick are healed, so you get all walks of life coming in. And since we’re taught not to judge, that can make us very vulnerable.”
Vaughn said they received a good amount of information. During the 1-½ hour event, officers from Maricopa Police Department provided some valuable information on topics that ranged from how to spot suspicious behavior to learning the “Run, Hide, Fight” training model in the event of an active shooter.
But much of it boiled down to one thing, according to MPD Sgt. Hal Koozer: “If you see something, say something. Don’t wait for the spirit to tell you this is a bad guy or girl.”
Vaughn said the training helped reinforce conversations already happening at their church and other places of worship.
“We’re just happy we’re not late to this. We’ve had security leadership for quite a while, so it’s nice to see other coming to the forefront on that,” Vaughn said. “Now, predators know the churches and places of worship in the city of Maricopa are taking precautions and securing their places.”
