OC Sheriff’s Office offering Church Safety Meetings

For over a year, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office has offered to area places of worship church safety meetings to address ways that congregations can protect themselves and their property. “The Sheriff’s Office continues to try to be proactive in addressing many of the issues affecting Oconee County and church safety is one of those issues at the very top,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. “We issued a press release last year offering area churches to have Sergeant Mike McGowan come to their place of worship for a church safety assessment. While we are not trying to create a sense of panic, we wanted to issue another release today to make congregations aware that this service is available to them.” Sergeant McGowan has conducted several church safety assessments in Oconee County and attended a church safety meeting workshop, along with Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jimmy Watt, in March of 2014 at Memorial United Methodist Church in Greer that was sponsored by Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company and South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association. During the safety meetings, Sergeant McGowan goes over several different issues that may arise for churches and places of worship, from active shooter situations to how to protect buildings and property from being damaged to how to prevent larcenies to questions regarding church members who are Concealed Weapons Permit holders and even how to handle disruptions during worship services. Sgt. McGowan also recommends that churches consider forming church safety teams consisting of current and retired law enforcement, military and Concealed Weapons Permit holders. If any church is interested in hosting a church safety meeting with Sgt. McGowan, call him at 864-638-2017.