Middle Georgia faith leaders learn how to protect houses of worship from evolving threats

Training offers security tips and grant resources to help protect local houses of worship from hate crimes and arson.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Faith leaders from across Middle Georgia gathered in Macon Thursday for a safety training aimed at equipping local congregations with the latest tools to protect their communities. The event provided practical security tips and information on grant resources to help safeguard houses of worship from threats such as hate crimes and arson.

Shanelle Booker, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, attended the training and underscored the region’s recent experiences with hate crimes targeting religious institutions. “We had Temple Beth Israel, where we had anti-Semitic attacks. We’ve had arsons at churches that we’ve prosecuted, and so we thought it’s time to refresh this training, give it a new audience, a new opportunity to learn, because the threats are continually evolving, and so are we in terms of providing information to protect people,” Booker said.

Despite these past incidents, Booker noted that there has not been an increase in threats to houses of worship in Middle Georgia this year. The training aimed to ensure faith leaders remain prepared and resilient in the face of evolving security challenges.