Alabama church asks state for permission to have its own police force

[Wendell]

With a membership larger than many small towns, Briarwood Presbyterian Church has asked the state Legislature for permission to set up a private law enforcement department to watch over its flock and schools. The bill comes at a time when places of worship around the country are stepping up security, but a church-only police force raises constitutional questions that are ripe for a legal challenge.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/Church...-force-8609103

[Lomshek]

The article doesn't say but I wonder if this is an attempt to get around a state law banning carry in churches and schools. Anyone know what Alabama's law is?

God forbid they just let law abiding members carry and appoint willing ushers and teachers as security and get them some training.

All of Kansas' restrictions on gun free zones expire in July thank God!

[voodoo_man]

If Universities and villages can have PDs no reason why a large church, with schools and such cannot...Just my opinion

[John Hearne]

Private police aren't a new thing. Aren't some of the railroad police departments effectively private? Little known is that at many of the original casinos in Las Vegas, the "security" guys actually have arrest powers on-site from back in the day.

[Poconnor]

Sounds like limited jurisdiction school police to me. The training requirement might trip them up though. I want to know how to start my own church with a huge range complex. Kind of like a gun club but instead of a bar a church. It a tax thing

[GuanoLoco]

This is in my backyard. IMO it is a bad idea on many levels. Birmingham has enough problems with corruption.

[TGS]

Private police aren't a new thing. Aren't some of the railroad police departments effectively private?

Sure. CSX for one; they've got police officers and special agents that are private employees but I think with federal powers. AMTRAK being another quasi-government, private entity.

Still, I think there is an obvious, glaring conflict of interest with a religious entity having police powers. I hold that as self-evident, and don't see how churches having their own PD is necessary or a better solution than contracting police services from a state/local agency.

[txdpd]

Sure. CSX for one; they've got police officers and special agents that are private employees but I think with federal powers. AMTRAK being another quasi-government, private entity.

Still, I think there is an obvious, glaring conflict of interest with a religious entity having police powers. I hold that as self-evident, and don't see how churches having their own PD is necessary or a better solution than contracting police services from a state/local agency.

What would be the glaring conflict of interest? Plenty of religious college campus have their own police forces and no one seems to be raising any issues about a conflict of interest.

IMO they would be better off with private security and hiring off duty officers. Commissioned peace officers, regardless of who pays their check, are still peace officers and the laws and case law that applies to big city cops and rural deputies still applies. Officers doing little things like enforcing house rules run the risk of bringing in big law suits.

[Hizzie]

I spent 5 years working for the Housing Authority being a project cop. CMHA its own political subdivision. Everything same as city/county/state police.

[BehindBlueI's]

In my academy class we had a guy who was a former LEO for an amusement park. Cedar Point in OH has a their own small PD. I don't know the details, but apparently they are sorta-kinda through the Sandusky PD but employed by the amusement park.

Indiana has something similar with "business special deputies". In broad strokes, deputies come in various flavors. "Merit" is your "standard" full-police power LEO. "Special" is generally at-will employed (or volunteer) and the sheriff can limit their authority, but they work for the sheriff. Business specials are the most limited, I think they lack arrest authority off duty and off their employer's property but can't remember for sure, and are employed by a private enterprise. Roche Diagnostics used to use business specials, but not sure if they still do or not. In short, you don't have your own PD, but you can have your own employees who are limited deputies and trained through the sheriff's department.

http://sheriffmarionco.com/special-d...-employee.html explains it pretty well.