Another armed robbery at a church

[Chad Rogers]

This one in Virginia.

My take is that places that have cash on hand will more and more become targets of robbery as our society moves to plastic, thus reducing cash on hand in many formerly convenient targets:
--- --- ---

WOODBRIDGE, Va. --
Two teens were charged Sunday morning with robbing a Woodbridge church at gunpoint during worship services, police said.

A gunman came in to the Christ is Lord Ministry, located at 14338 Jefferson Davis Highway near the Prince William Shopping Center around 11:45 a.m. through an unlocked rear door, Prince William police spokesman Jonathan Perok said.

The robber, who was wearing a mask, entered a back office where four church employees were counting money from the service collection, police said.

Police allege that 19-year-old Stephen Ernest Wing held the employees up at gunpoint, took an undisclosed amount of money and fled in a vehicle, Perok said.

Rest of story: Masked gunman robs Woodbridge church | InsideNova

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[adric22]

This one in Virginia.

My take is that places that have cash on hand will more and more become targets of robbery as our society moves to plastic, thus reducing cash on hand in many formerly convenient targets:

You are probably right. We had a pastor killed and his assistant severely beaten at a church just a few miles from my house last month. And it was just a guy robbing the place. I'm glad they changed the law in Texas a few years ago and now CHL holders can carry a gun in places of worship. I certainly do!

[Ianator]

My church meets in a school. So, that sucked. Until they made it possible to go to a different location. Guess which one I go to now? Yeah, not the school.

[NY27]

When I first started carrying, I felt a little wierd carrying in church. I felt like I was doing something wrong. That feeling went away a long time ago. Bad things can happen ANYWHERE!

[cmb]

Anytime and anywhere, criminals don't care... it definitely show the decline of our society when children, women, elderly and churches are targeted...

[Ianator]

What I forgot to mention is that our church actually has officers on duty every Sunday. There is an officer that sits next to where the pastor speaks. Crazy

[WHEC724]

We've been church-hopping lately, and last Sunday we visited a church that had a card-swipe machine out front with offering envelopes. You swipe your card, enter the amount, and then drop the receipt with your contact info in the plate for your tax deductable donation records that they mail out a the end of the year.

My wife got annoyed that I wanted to study the machine (we brought a check), but I thought it was a great idea to help reduce the cash lure.

[Kroper]

What I forgot to mention is that our church actually has officers on duty every Sunday. There is an officer that sits next to where the pastor speaks. Crazy

Wow... Never sen that. So he sits on the alter? It's really sad when you can't go into a house of worship and peace and not feel comfortable. Such scum out there.

[gunthorp]

I'm doing special permit to carry classes at churches. When the congregation gets wind of the armed ushers, collections go way up.

[chiefjason]

Wow... Never sen that. So he sits on the alter? It's really sad when you can't go into a house of worship and peace and not feel comfortable. Such scum out there.

The more I consider it the more I think that's a Western idea, US in particular. Lots of references to Temple guards in the Bible, both Jewish and Roman. Granted those 2 had very different intentions. Many Christians around the world face much worse consequences than getting robbed for meeting together. It's the world we live in.

[retsupt99]

This fits...
"Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition."

[DefConGun]

I carry in church as well as use situational awareness. BGs are EVERYWHERE.
DCG

[Elk Hunter]

Other than to protect the family and myself, I started carrying so I could help protect the flock. Too many nuts that target churches.

[Saber]

It would be very interesting if some fool tried that in my church. I estimate 15% are federal agents and another 5% are armed citizens. In any event I do realize its becoming more popular with the criminals.

[GAngel]

I agree with the chief. I was greatly encouraged reading many of these posts, however. It seems like the idea of CCW inside of a house of worship is being discussed more freely. Most parishioners do not accept the idea of CCW. I know this because I consult churches on safety matters including CCW. Many people are simply made uncomfortable by the idea that armed men are inside the church and ready to respond. I specifically consult with smaller churches (80 to 800 members) for a reason. Most of those churches can't afford to hire a consultant and don't need to. They simply need to take basic safety steps to increase the overall level of safety for their parishioners. One of those steps is in offertory security. Have a two person rule (travel in pairs, or more, to secure the offering after it is taken). Encourage parishioners to pay by check if possible. Cash is readily spent and checks can be cancelled. Many churches offer online giving where you can set up automatic withdrawls for monthly tithing. The swipe machine if it is not cost prohibitive is a great idea. Find alternatives to cash and harden your church as a target. I read several remarks about how carrying in church seems weird but the chief is right. We live in that kind of a society. If you ever want to get an idea on frequency and number of incidents check out Carl Chinn's web site at Church Crime History. No one has collected better data than he has. Another good web site for keeping tabs on current incidents is Christian Security Network - Home. They always have the last 10 days worth of incidents posted. I have links to these sites and others on mine if you ever have need of collecting data or need forms.

kb