Church leaders discuss safety in Oak Creek
OAK CREEK (WITI) -- Church leaders from all over Wisconsin came together Tuesday, September 10th to learn about safety. The message was simple: be proactive and preventative.
The day-long seminar was held at Oak Creek Assembly of God. It's an issue that hits close to home for people in that community, after the Sikh Temple shooting that happened last year, just a few blocks away.
“There’s very much a philosophy that it couldn’t happen here, people think their safe in their churches or places of worship and we’re here to say that’s not always the case,” said Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi. “I think after what happened on August 5, 2012 we need all of our faith-based organizations understanding of what the risks are.”
Even though the shooting at Oak Creek’s Sikh Temple was over a year ago Scaffidi says unfortunately those risks are still there.
“At any one time on a Saturday or Sunday is, depending on when your day of worship is you have the largest assembly of people probably within a city,” said Mayor Scaffidi.
So on Tuesday the city of Oak Creek joined forces with several other cities, law enforcement groups, and faith-based organization to talk about that.
“And it’s not to talk about or scare people about you could have a shooting. It could be tornadoes it could be domestics in your church. It could be anything,” said Oak Creek Chief of Police John Edwards.
More than 20 different denominations were represented at the all day seminar. Guest speakers that included law enforcement talked about everything from violence prevention to dealing with accidents.
Carl Chinn, a nationally known security expert and author from Colorado, was the key speaker. Chinn shared his own experience with Tuesday’s crowd. Several years ago he was in a faith-based organization that was held up at gun point. Chinn said own experience helps him better prepare those he talks to.
“Awareness is the key to readiness,” said Chinn.
Chinn encourages having a plan, and practicing that plan, especially at churches and faith-based organizations
“Look I understand why you don’t want t to look like Fort Knox,” said Chinn. “But let’s be realistic here. We have a responsibility to protect the people that attend our churches.”
The lessons learned at Tuesday’s seminar are things Oak Creek’s leaders, especially, hope no one forgets.
“You can prepare for these things. They don’t just happen and you respond to them. You can actually put measures in place so that when you see it happen, you know what to do,” said Mayor Steve Scaffidi.
Organizers say although the temple shooting was talked about, this event wasn't in response to the mass shooting. Plans for this event started months before that.
The seminar was sponsored by the Milwaukee Country Law Enforcement Executive Association, or MCLEEA.