HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Pastor Roscoe Cooper with Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church in Henrico said he had no plans to add metal detectors, start frisking people, or carry a weapon in the wake of a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.
“We are the Kingdom of God, so we can’t start judging people based on their color or how they look,” Cooper said.
Pastor Roscoe Cooper
Cooper said he already has several security measures in place, but added he planned to meet with members of his security ministry to review safety plans after a man walked into a Charleston, South Carolina church Wednesday night and fatally shot nine people.
"You can be proactive, but you can’t always be preventative, you can’t determine who is going to do what,” Cooper said.
Cooper’s church has 14 security cameras and buzzers on the outside doors.
Cooper said the doors are typically locked, but during Wednesday night bible study and Sunday services the doors are open.
He said he has no plans to change that policy, and he won’t be packing heat.
“I don’t think the answer is more guns,” Cooper said.
Richmond Police Sergeant Carol Adams
Richmond Police Sergeant Carol Adams, who specializes in crime prevention, said it is up to pastors to make individual decisions about carrying a weapon.
“I cannot advise someone what to do as far as to arm or to disarm themselves, I can advise them to learn how to be safe ,” Adams said.
She said churches should remain open despite incidents like Charleston, but they should have a plan in place in case of an emergency.
“You should be able to execute that plan, you should practice that plan,” Adams said.
Richmond Police are hosting a safety and awareness forum for places of worship on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The focus is how to respond to an active shooter or other emergency.
The forum will be held at the Richmond Police Training Academy, 1202 W. Graham Road. For further questions please contact Officer Kimberly Cheatham-McClarin at 804-646-6754.
Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church in Henrico
