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A church in Alabama is well on its way to having its own police force. On Tuesday, Alabama state senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that would allow Briarwood Presbyterian in suburban Birmingham to have its own cops. Now the proposed legislation heads to the desk of Governor Kay Ivey, who was sworn in days ago after Robert Brentley resigned in disgrace over a sex scandal.
Alabama SB 193 is sponsored by Republican Majority Leader J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner, who has represented the district for nearly 30 years, making him one of the longest-serving and most powerful senators in the state legislature. The bill would endow the church with the power to “appoint and employ one or more persons to act as police officers,” and would give members of the church police department “all of the powers of law enforcement officers in this state.”
Spokesperson Matt Moore said in a recent statement that Briarwood Presbyterian needs its own armed police force to protect its 4,100 parishioners, as well as its on-site K-12 […]
Fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Government police beatings are bad enough..now religious constables can beat you with a bible, torah or koran?? Even having lived in Alabama for a number of years I still taken aback a bit. We are blessed & cursed to live in interesting times!
Sorry to say it, but this is yet another reason to have a healthy second amendment to offset the police state and now the bible thumping SWAT team as well. Imperfect solution perhaps but a solution nonetheless.
Would a church cop, should they become legal, be able to use civil asset forfeiture law to confiscate
cash, vehicles, jewelry or other assets for the state or for the religious organization?
The significance of this article and its subject are indeed noteworthy and interesting to contemplate.