HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department held a seminar Tuesday for dozens of local pastors and parishioners to talk about safety in churches.
“It definitely is sad, but we have to understand one thing: that before it gets better, it’s gonna get worse, so we have to be prepared for that,” Rev. Aaron Simpson said.
The HPD said the first thing each church must do is create a plan, then and be ready and alert.
On the issue of whether to allow trained people to carry weapons in the church, the HPD said it depends on individual congregations and their resources.
“The reality is, it’s the world we live in. Nobody’s going to feel unsafe by those that are prepared and trained to handle that for the church,” Welch said.
In an active shooting situation, police said people should prepare to run, using an escape plan. If they can't get out, they should hide out of the shooter's view. They should fight only as a last resort and when their life is in imminent danger.
The seminar two days after a Houston man was accused of walking into a 5th Ward church with a gun and knife and threatening church members, the pastor and the deacon. A gunman killed 26 people inside a Sutherland Springs church on Nov. 5.
The full HPD active shooter presentation can be found on YouTube.