Safety in public settings is a huge priority for law enforcement everywhere. Det. Lt. David Spencer with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office says the agency is taking a very proactive approach in church safety by providing classes to congregations all over the community.

ST. MARY PARISH, LA (KLFY) -- Safety in public settings is a huge priority for law enforcement everywhere. Det. Lt. David Spencer with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office says the agency is taking a very proactive approach in church safety by providing classes to congregations all over the community.

The sheriff's office is investing in a partnership with the faith community in the parish to approach church safety as an important investment to public safety.

"Whether they're in school, going to work, going to a ball game here in St. Mary Parish, or going to church or wherever. What are some possibilities of some things we can do? This was just one of them," said Spencer.

Spencer, along with Lt. Oscar West, are beginning to make connections with local ministries to provide classes with vital safety information like how to start a security team, training, and gathering resources for a team.

"Let's say you don't have a security team and you would like to have one. Here are some things you need to consider and if you have one, but you don't train as often, where do you go to get resources to train? So, it is basically our knowledge of that we're just kind of passing on," said Spencer.

The main goal of the partnership is being prepared for anything even when it seems nothing can happen.

Spencer says anyone one looking for these resources and tips can reach out to the sheriff's office, and they would be glad to provide help. St. Mary Parish Sheriff Gary Driskell gave a statement on the partnership.

"Collaborating with the leaders in our faith community across St. Mary Parish is crucial in fortifying public safety within our churches. Their unwavering dedication to meeting the needs of people daily is invaluable, and we deeply appreciate the impactful work they undertake," said Driskell.

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