MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee agencies are hosting an information session in Cordova Thursday, Oct. 24, for faith leaders and community members to educate them on how to prevent and respond to violence against places of worship.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee is hosting the “Protecting Places of Worship (PPOW)” Forum along with multiple other agencies and organizations, including the Memphis Police Department, FBI, TBI and Memphis Baptist Ministerial Alliance.
The event is a half-day session equipping faith-based leaders and congregations with ways to protect places of worship from potential hate crimes and other threats of violence, and information regarding religious hate crimes. Attendees will also be informed about state and federal hate crimes laws along with law enforcement threat assessments.
The program promotes a security program, offers resources — including examples of security plans and community responses — provides best practices for security and pushes for networking and community outreach.
The following goals are outlined:
- Identify best practices for protecting places of worship
- Improve participants’ understanding of local, state, and federal hate crimes laws and ways to report alleged hate crimes
- Build a faith-based working group tasked with working on safety and security issues
- Identify federal, state, and local resources, programs, and tools to help protect/secure places of worship
According to the registration form, attendees will only be limited to faith leaders and people involved with worship center security.
Registration will start at 8 a.m., and the event will be held at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms on Great View Drive in Cordova from 9 a.m. to noon.
Those interested can register HERE. Contact Cherri Green at Cherri.Green@usdoj.gov. if you have any questions.
