How more churches are beefing up security to keep worshipers safe
Tim Miller, a former Secret Service agent who runs a security service for houses of worship, explains how congregations can better protect themselves.
Former Secret Service agent Tim Miller weighed in Tuesday on the violence centered around houses of worship over the weekend saying, “It's a new world and we have to think about it in a different way.”
Speaking on “Fox & Friends," Miller, who also runs a security service called Lionheart International Services Group, offered different solutions to better protect congregants.
“The culture in our society is changing,” Miller said. “Churches and synagogues, we need to have plans, we need to have the ability to stop what we saw happen both in Texas and New York.”
Grafton Thomas, 37, is accused of stabbing five people at a rabbi’s home Saturday during a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, N.Y. He was charged Monday with federal hate crimes as details emerged about a series of handwritten journals found at his home that the FBI said appear to "express anti-Semitic sentiments."
The next morning, a gunman opened fire in a Texas church, killing two people and injuring others before the head of the church's security team, identified as Jack Wilson, shot and killed the shooter at the scene, authorities said.
Speaking on Tuesday, one day after that attack, Miller said he thinks all churches across the country are “waking up” to the fact that they need to have a security team and plan.
“We saw Mr. Wilson illustrate that beautifully in Texas,” Miller said.
TEXAS MAN WHO STOPPED CHURCH SHOOTING SAYS HE 'HAD TO TAKE OUT' GUNMAN BECAUSE 'EVIL EXISTS'
He also elaborated on different ideas to keep houses of worship safe.
“There are basically three things that any church, regardless of size, needs and that's a team that's focused on ... the right-hearted team, training -- good training -- and then technology,” Miller said, adding that “technology such as cameras used to be cost prohibitive and now they’re not.”
Miller also said he thinks other states should emulate the law in Texas, which allows license holders to carry guns inside places of worship.
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“I am a big advocate for the state enabling churches and other organizations to protect themselves because can you imagine how this would have been different had they not had a trained team that was ready to act and respond, and they had to wait several minutes for the police to come?” Miller asked.
“I'm a big police supporter, but that would have been a horrific event and so it does rest now with churches to protect themselves. And I agree that having laws in place that enable them to do that is critical.”
Fox News’ Greg Norman, Travis Fedschun and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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