Safe Worship brings together faith leaders, law enforcement – CBS 19 News

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Updated: May 17, 2025 @ 12:24 pm

Charlottesville and Albemarle County police are teaming up to help faith communities through a new initiative called SafeWorship 2025.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 News) — Charlottesville and Albemarle County police are teaming up to help faith communities through a new initiative called SafeWorship 2025.
The effort focuses on providing faith leaders with resources, training, and tools to protect their congregations in the face of various safety concerns — from mental health crises to potential acts of violence.
“Everybody just wants to keep the kids safe, and that’s our goal here,” said Joseph George, ACPD’s crime prevention specialist.
The training sessions Friday covered a wide range of topics, including emergency planning, threat assessment, and arson prevention.
“Things like mental health awareness, terrorism as it affects houses of worship, arson as well, and protecting the children as well — the youth ministry,” said George.
SafeWorship 2025 is a collaborative effort between the Albemarle County Police Department and the Charlottesville Police Department. Officials say that collaboration is essential when addressing safety issues that can impact communities across city and county lines.
“Crime has no boundaries. So it’s important that we work together and we collaborate and just try to get people the best information that we can,” said George. “Our primary goal in all that we’re doing is just keeping people safe in churches.”
While physical security is a major part of the initiative, Charlottesville police emphasized that it’s also about protecting constitutional freedoms.
“This is all about the First Amendment. We must all be free to worship or not worship God after the dictates of our own conscience,” said Eric Pendleton, CPD’s new faith-based community liaison officer. “If we, any one of us is not free to do that as they see fit, then none of us are really free.”
The event also created space for open conversation — helping equip clergy and faith leaders to respond with calm and confidence in moments of crisis.
“Give them the opportunity to learn in a way that’s not driven by fear, but rather by knowledge and evidence,” said Pendleton.
 
Officials say whether a congregation is large or small, the mission is the same: make sure everyone feels safe while practicing their faith.
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