00:00Church leaders from around the nation are here in San Diego this week to talk about security.
00:05It's a timely topic given the shooting inside the Shabbat of Poway less than two months ago.
00:10NBC7's Stephen Luke has the story from Liberty Station.
00:14It's called the National Church Safety and Security Conference and it's being held here at the Rock Church.
00:19And the lessons learned are hitting very close to home.
00:23Our defining moment, initial response, stabilization.
00:27The deputy chief of the Charleston, South Carolina Police Department telling attendees about the importance of fostering relationships between churches and law enforcement before a critical incident occurs.
00:38She should know. Three years ago, she oversaw the response and recovery to a church massacre involving a white supremacist who murdered nine black church members during a prayer service.
00:48The conference covered more than 30 topics over three full days, giving attendees insight into the best practices for developing a security plan.
00:58Mike Diggs, director of safety for the Rock Church, which has one of the largest congregations in our county, says 70 percent of churches don't have any security plan in place.
01:07The Chabatta Poway, which did have some procedures, experienced a deadly shooting in April.
01:12Diggs, a former police detective, is now helping synagogue leaders develop an even more robust plan moving forward.
01:19He says guns in church aren't the only solution, but in today's world, they should be part of it.
01:25If you have to have a gun to fight a gun, so to speak.
01:28So we take some steps with that as, you know, we suggest other people do.
01:33Just make use of the people in their own congregation.
01:35I think we're at a place where we have to be proactive in that way.
01:40This is the ninth year of the conference, and one of the biggest takeaways for people here, don't worry about doing everything, but step up your game and do something.
01:49From Liberty Station, Stephen Luke, NBC7.
01:53And along with active shooter preparation, the conference covered topics like vetting volunteers, incident reporting, and then best practices for children's ministries.
02:01We'll see you next time.
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