Sheriff Jeff Shrader cordially invites leaders of faith to the first ever Jefferson County Safety in Faith Summit.

"Recently, while attending an FBI sponsored law enforcement executive’s seminar in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with Sheriff Al Cannon of Charleston County, South Carolina," Sheriff Shrader said. "Charleston is the location of the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church where nine church members were tragically murdered. It was while we were at the seminar that Sheriff Cannon first received word of the tragedy.

"I was able to observe, firsthand, Sheriff Cannon’s response to the shooting and his engagement with his staff and his community, even though quite a distance from home. What impressed me most was his ability to immediately begin making contact with churches in the Charleston area, sharing factual information with church leaders and his efforts to mitigate additional threats and worries the community might have.

"In our own county and state, we too have experienced the devastation of violence in religious institutions. As community engagement is a primary focus of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, these incidents cause me to think that Jefferson County law enforcement needs to revisit, enhance and strengthen our relationships with our faith communities."

To this end, and to create an opportunity to make our places of worship safer, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with other Jefferson County law enforcement agencies, is sponsoring the inter-faith “Jefferson County Safety in Faith Summit” at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on Thursday, August 20.

Former United States Marshal Tina Rowe will be a key presenter at the summit. Tina brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the area of safety and security to what promises to be an informative summit. Among many topics, she will address a six-step approach to ensuring whole facility safety and other issues that affect people, places, property, programs and processes.

The summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 20 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Though the event is FREE, registration is required due to limited space.

Please share this post with anyone who may be interested in attending!

Faith Leaders can register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/jefferson-county-safety-in-faith-summit-tickets-17801888929