Bham Church Seeks to Establish Police Force

jthomas666

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Ummmmm...

Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills is trying to establish its own police force. The move requires approval from state lawmakers. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Shelby County) cleared its first major hurdle Wednesday.

The House Public Safety Committee gave its OK.

Briarwood Presbyterian Church calls this a way to create a safer campus in a fallen world.

Some lawmakers argue allowing a private church to have its own police force could begin a slippery slope. “What do we do when other church affiliates come and ask for the same thing?” questioned Rep. Mary Moore (D-Birmingham). “They're not a college. They're a church and they're a church asking for police jurisdiction.”

Many questions were posed during Wednesday’s committee meeting. “Who do the officers answer to?” asked Rep. Chris England (D- Tuscaloosa).

“They would answer to the leadership of the section of the church,” a representative from the church answered.
Oh, yeah, this will end well.
 

Tidewater

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Yeah, this is a strange request.
There is a difference between maintaining security and establishing a force with police duties.
A church wishing to be secure can be done without establishing a police force because a police forces comes with a lot of baggage no church should want.
 

seebell

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Yeah, this is a strange request.
There is a difference between maintaining security and establishing a force with police duties.

A church wishing to be secure can be done without establishing a police force because a police forces comes with a lot of baggage no church should want.
I agree TW. Why don't they just hire security guards? Or form their own security company? In Huntsville a business/organization can hire an off-duty policeman complete with car uniform and full police powers. Used to be $20 an hour last time I did that. What kinds of problems has this church had?

From the link: Briarwood Presbyterian Church calls this a way to create a safer campus in a fallen world.

Here is the church Wikipedia info. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briarwood_Presbyterian_Church
 

4Q Basket Case

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Mrs. Basket Case and I live not too far from Briarwood. We don't have kids, but we have some close friends who pulled their two boys out over the incredibly political, controlling atmosphere that infiltrates everything -- who makes sports teams, who plays, even who gets academic honors or the benefit of the doubt on close calls regarding grades.

They really don't make a strong distinction between church and school, and if you're in the church leadership, your kids "get things," including looks the other way over matters of academic integrity, vandalism to school property, and physical intimidation of other students. Don't know about skating on sexual assault, but it would be consistent.

If you're not in church leadership, you face the full wrath of Biblically-based justice, as interpreted by the leaders.

This drive to get its own police force has been in the works for some time, and is a way to add force of law to what is currently petty church garbage.

I don't think it was always this bad, but those guys are downright scary now. Kind of has the feel of Baylor-lite.
 
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Crimson1967

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I went to college with a guy who was a Briarwood graduate. He was a major league jerk (nicest word I can use to describe him and not get banned) and a big racist. Another guy who had played football against him said he was a dirty player on the field.

Granted, this is just one person, but that was my experience.
 

crimsonaudio

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it's to create a safer campus in a fallen world.
I don't know if you've seen some of the security teams at the larger 'mega-churches', but one of the biggest local churches has a serious security detail. I've toured the facility with the security team leader (full time job), he used to be a neighbor of mine so I asked. These guys train and are honestly ready for most every threat - they even have locked stashes of .300 blackout rifles with subsonic rounds ready throughout the facility should something go sideways.

I understand these megachurches attract all sorts, and my former neighbor shared some of the stuff they've had to deal with - some serious crazies out there are attracted to these megachurches - so I've no problem with a serious, trained security team. But police? I dunno, there's something weird behind this one - this is abnormal, even for hardcore fundamentalists...
 

Crimson1967

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What exactly would the church police be? Would they be able to arrest someone and file criminal charges? Would they have any power off church property?
 

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