Local houses of worship attend safety meeting

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Federal, state and local agencies gathered to offer security information and resources to faith-based organizations at People's Church in Northeast Fresno on Friday.

"We know houses of worship are vulnerable, they're vulnerable to attack through terrorism and hate crimes," said one guest speaker.

Maricella Gutierrez was one of dozens who attended the event. She works for Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Clovis. She said the meeting has changed her perspective on safety.

"I feel like things are a little bit different now. We have to be a little more proactive about our safety and the safety of our communities," said Gutierrez.

It's a topic that is timely for faith leaders in the Valley.

In October of last year, an employee at Temple Beth Israel in Northwest Fresno found one of the glass doors shattered.

Then in May of this year, police made arrests for alleged vandalism, trespassing, and making threats to staff at the temple.

Across the country, other places of worship have faced violent attacks, including shootings.

Jesse Rangel from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security says the symposium was about giving people tools to handle a crisis.

"This is a personal conversation that you're having with you, you all day long," said Rangel.

The meeting included information about everything from how to apply a tourniquet to how to report a crime.

"I speak to people often, and they tell me they don't report, because of fearful of reprisal, I get a long list of reasons why, this is what we need to change. We want to change that thinking, allow individuals to understand the importance of reporting because we can mitigate these horrible events that occur," said Rangel.

Participants were also given information about California's Nonprofit Security Grant. It provides funding for physical security enhancements to faith-based organizations and non-profits - that are at risk of violence or hate crimes.

If you didn't get to attend the event, click here for more information.

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