ADL Mountain States Senior Associate Regional Director Jeremy Shaver speaks at the Protecting Houses of Worship briefing on July 24 in Pueblo, CO.
Members of law enforcement answer questions at the Protecting Houses of Worship briefing on July 24 in Pueblo, CO. Pictured left to right: Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Kirsch, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero, Pueblo District Attorney Jeff Chostner, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lenny Carollo, and Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller.
The ADL Mountain States Region participated in a safety and security briefing on July 24 in Pueblo for religious institutions in southern Colorado. More than 70 representatives from area synagogues, churches and other houses of worship attended the training.
The Protecting Houses of Worship event was sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, District Attorney for Pueblo, Community Relations Service (Rocky Mountain Region) of the Department of Justice, Temple Emanuel of Pueblo, Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, and the Pueblo City-County Library District. Several additional law enforcement agencies participated including the Pueblo Police Department, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms).
ADL Mountain States Senior Associate Regional Director Jeremy Shaver spoke at the event and presented information on the unique security concerns facing religious institutions, religion-based hate crimes, and principles for developing a safety and security plan for houses of worship.
The event was part of an ongoing series of Protecting Houses of Worship trainings held across the state of Colorado. The U.S. Attorney’s Office launched the program with the help of ADL and other community and law enforcement partners after the 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, that killed nine people and injured another.