Security measures in church may have seemed unnecessary in the past, but after a shooting in Texas left 26 people dead and 20 injured Sunday, churches in Northeast Wisconsin are thinking differently.
A pastor at a Baptist church in Green Bay said they have security measures in place, but what happened in Sutherland Springs makes them think twice about those measures.
Pastor Jim Downs of Highland Crest Baptist Church said he started a safety plan at his church after attending a seminar about safety a few years ago.
Right now, Highland Crest is equipped with security cameras. It also has a safety team made up of 6-8 church members who are always in place Sunday mornings to monitor during services and Sunday school.
"We'd like to think that's always going to happen in some other state in some other town," Pastor Downs said. "It just makes sense to be aware of that and do what you need to be prepared in the event that should happen."
The church's security team is armed and able to communicate with each other through an ear device.
Pastor Downs does not think they'll make any changes to existing safety plans because the measures they've taken so far are sufficient. However, he said being alert is always important.
