>>> SADLY, THERE HAVE BEEN ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS WORSHIPPERS
AND HOUSES OF WORSHIP IN THE NEWS RECENTLY.
THERE WERE ACTS OF ANTI-SEMITIC VIOLENCE IN THE NEW YORK CITY
AREA, INCLUDING A KNIFE ATTACK DURING A HANUKKAH CELEBRATION AT
A RABBI'S HOME.
AND THERE WAS A SHOOTING AT A CHURCH JUST OUT OF THE SIDE OF
FORT WORTH, TEXAS JUST BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.
IN THE WAKE OF INCIDENTS LIKE THESE, MORE AND MORE HOUSES OF
WORSHIP ARE CONSIDERING THEIR OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO
SECURITY.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH ERIC STRATTON OF STS CONSULTING
TO LEARN MORE.
>> WE'VE BEEN CONSULTING WITH SOME OF THE AREA CHURCHES AND
SYNAGOGUES AND WE COME IN AND DO A SURVEY, WE LOOK AT A BUNCH OF
THINGS, THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, JUST LOOK FOR THREATS
ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THEN WE DO AN OUTSIDE SURVEY, THEN WE DO AN INTERNAL SURVEY.
AND THEN WE WORK WITH THEM, DEPENDING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO,
WE WORK WITH THEM TO ENHANCE THE INSIDE SECURITY.
WE LOOK AT IF A SHOOTING DID OCCUR, WHAT'S THE BEST METHOD TO
SAVE THE MOST LIVES INSIDE, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THE
SHOOTER IS TAKEN DOWN OR LEAVES, HOW DO WE CARE FOR THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE INSIDE.
THEN THE, WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOWS UP, ASSISTING THE PATIENTS
AND HOPEFULLY -- >> HOW DO YOU ADVISE PEOPLE?
BECAUSE I THINK A LOT PEOPLE WOULD SAY NO WAY, WE DON'T WANT
TO HAVE AN ARMED GUARD IN CHURCH.
ALTHOUGH MORE AND MORE CHURCHES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
CONSIDERING IT.
>> YES.
I'M CERTAINLY NOT AGAINST HIRING A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER WHO KNOWS
THE COMMUNITY, KNOWS THE PEOPLE INSIDE AS AN EXTRA DETAIL OR
WHATEVER, WHETHER IT BE IN FULL UNIFORM OR NOT SO HE BLENDS IN
OR SHE BLENDS IN.
MOST OF THE CLIENTS NOW, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS THEY HAVE
PEOPLE, FEDERAL AGENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHETHER IT BE
FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCALS INSIDE THE CHURCH, AND SOME OF THEM
HAVE BANDED TOGETHER TO MAKE THEIR OWN LITTLE SECURITY TEAMS.
AND THESE SECURITY TEAMS ARE NOW PROVIDING MULTIPLE LAYERS OF
SECURITY INSIDE SOME OF THESE SYNAGOGUES AND CHURCHES IN
WESTERN MASS.
>> WHAT'S THE LAW IN MASSACHUSETTS ON CARRYING INSIDE
A CHURCH?
>> AS LONG AS IT'S NOT A FEDERAL BUILDING OR A STATE
BUILDING, OR A SCHOOL, YOU CAN CARRY.
>> OBVIOUSLY THOSE PEOPLE, MAYBE IT'S A STATE TROOPER OR F.B.I.
AGENT, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN EVERY SINGLE SERVICE.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT OTHER LAYER OF SECURITY.
CAN YOU DISARM SOMEBODY WITH A GUN?
HOW DO YOU ADVICE PEOPLE IF THIS HAPPENS?
>> SO SOME OF THE TRAINING, IT DEPENDS ON EACH CLIENT.
THE SYNAGOGUE, WHAT THEY WANTED WAS, WE DID THE OUTSIDE, INSIDE
AND WE LOOKED FOR BEHAVIORAL THINGS.
WE TAUGHT THEM HOW TO LOOK FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF PLACE
COMING IN, YOU KNOW, THE BAGS, SOMETHING JUTTING OUT OF A COAT,
THE WAY THEY DON'T MAKE EYE CONTACT OR THEY TALK TOO MUCH.
SO WE WENT OVER THE BEHAVIORAL ASPECT OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR
BEFORE THEY CAME IN, AND THEN ONCE THEY CAME IN IF THE SHOOTER
WERE TO GET UP AND DO ANYTHING THEN WE WENT OVER THIS WHOLE
PIECE ON IF YOU HAD TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SHOOTER HOW TO
DISARM OR GET THEM TO THE GROUND.
TAKE AWAY THE PLAINS ON WHICH THEY CAN OPERATE.
IF HE'S STANDING HE CAN MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION.
IF YOU TAKE HIS FEET OUT AND GOES TO THE GROUND HE HIS LESS
PLAINS TO WORK ON.
FROM THERE IT MOVES TO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SHOOTING
STOPS.
THE SUSPECT EITHER LEAVES OR IF HE STAYS THERE AND IS DETAINED
OR SOMETHING HAPPENS, WHAT DO WE DO.
THEN THE NEXT PHASE, WHO'S HURT, HOW BAD, WHAT DO WE HAVE WITH
US.
SO WE HAD SOME OF THE LADIES TAKING OFF THEIR SCARVES, TAKING
THE STRINGS OUT OF THE HOODIES AND SHOE LACES.
SO IT'S, THE STOP THE BLEED PROGRAM IS AN INCREDIBLE
PROGRAM.
THEY GO OVER THE TOURNIQUETS AND HOME STATIC --
HOME HEMOSTATEIC.
BUT IN MOST CASES THEY WON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH WHAT DO YOU HAVE RIGHT THEN AND THERE,
SHOE LACES, A TIE, AND HOPEFULLY PLENTY OF THEM IN CHURCH.
SO WE CAN WORK ON WHO IS HURT THE WORST, AND IF THAT DOESN'T
WORK WE TEACH THEM HOW TO GET A SECOND ONE ON AND HOW TO
INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN
HOT AND HEAVY, AND THEN BEHIND THEM, PROBABLY IT'S, EITHER A
SPECIALLY TRAINED CREW WILL COME IN, SO WE GO FROM ONCE THE
PERSON COMES IN, ONCE THE SHOOTING HAPPENS, WE TRY TO GO
THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PHASES, AND PUT IT TOGETHER WITH
A COUPLE EXERCISES.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE TEXAS SHOOTING.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT GUN CONTROL.
BUT THAT WAS OVER IN SIX SECONDS.
SO THE FIRST TWO PEOPLE WERE SHOT, ONE OF THEM WAS A
VOLUNTEER SECURITY GUARD WHO WAS REACHING, APPEARED TO BE
REACHING FOR HIS GUN. AND THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY
ENDED IT WAS ANOTHER VOLUNTEER SECURITY GUARD WHO SHOT THE MAN.
DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT MAYBE CHURCHES CONSIDER SUCH TYPES OF
VOLUNTEER SECURITY GUARDS?
>> I'M CERTAINLY NOT AGAINST IT WHATSOEVER.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IF YOU DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE
THAT, THEN THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF RANGE TIME.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
IN THAT PARTICULAR SHOOTING, HAD THE OFFICER MISSED AND IF YOU
LOOK THERE'S WINDOWS, THAT COULD HAVE GONE OUT INTO THE PARKING
LOT.
I KNOW ONE OF THE CHURCHES WE'VE TALKED TO, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE
ARMED PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN AREA WHERE THE KIDS GO DURING
THE SERVICE SO THEY CAN STAY BUSY.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A SHOT GOING INTO THAT AREA?
OR WOULD YOU TRY TO REDIRECT IT SO THE SUSPECT WAS ENGAGED IN A
DIFFERENT ANGLE.
>> SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF TRAINING.
YOU DON'T WANT EVERYBODY BRINGING A GUN INTO CHURCH.
>> NO, BECAUSE IF YOU WATCH THE REST OF THE VIDEO, SOME GUYS ARE
LIKE THIS, SOME GUYS, THEIR GUN IS COMING BEHIND INNOCENT
PEOPLE.
SO I'D HOPE THAT THEY WOULD EITHER HAVE DONE A PAINT BALL
THING OR SOME TYPE OF AIR SHOT PRIOR TO THIS SO THEY KNOW THE
RULES, SO THEY DON'T SHOOT EACH OTHER.
AND WHEN THIS IS OVER WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FOUR, FIVE, SIX,
IN FROM THE LOCAL, STATE, COUNTY, NOW THEY SEE ALL THESE
GUYS OUT WITH GUNS.
I'M ASSUMING SOMEONE IS OUTSIDE SAYING THE SHOOTER IS DOWN AND
THESE GUYS ARE PUTTING AWAY THEIR GUNS.
>> RIGHT, BUT THESE ARE ALL THINGS YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER AS
YOU'RE DOING THE TRAINING AS WELL.
>> YES.
I COULDN'T IMAGINE LIKE ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTROL, THERE'S
ONE, TWO, LIKE THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE WITH WEAPONS OUT.
THE FIRST OFFICER SHOWS UP, ARE THOSE THE BAD GUYS OR THE GOOD
GUYS?