Church Watch Program

The Bay County Sheriff's Office has implemented a program designed to bring Law Enforcement services to churches, synagogues and mosques of Bay County. This program, entitled "Operation Church Watch", was developed by Sheriff Guy M. Tunnell and members of the Community Services Division and will assist in providing Law Enforcement services to the religious communities.

The first objective of Operation Church Watch is to serve the individual members of the congregation by offering programs relating to crime prevention and Law Enforcement awareness. In this segment, Deputies will meet with your groups and provide information about the personal safety of the congregation who attend late evening meetings and who assist in preparing bank deposits. Seminars regarding rape prevention, burglary prevention, home security, fraud, con games and auto theft can also be arranged. These programs may be scheduled to conveniently coincide with other planned functions which are held at your place of worship.

These programs are designed to be interesting, informative and relevant to the problems of today. The information presented will emphasize the fact that all citizens are potential victims. We believe that facing this fact and formulating a plan of preparedness is the key to combating crime and helping to reduce your chance of being a victim. The Deputy who will be presenting these programs to you will be an experienced professional who will be able to provide you with information about current crime trends and the best way to avoid being the victim of a crime. Special programs may also be designed to fit the needs of your congregation.

The second objective of Operation Church Watch is to provide your congregation with a safe and secure place to meet and worship. Upon the request of a church staff member, a Deputy will schedule and conduct a survey of your buildings and the grounds. During this process, the doors, windows, locks, lighting, alarm systems and environmental surroundings will be examined in order to advise you on various ways to make your building more secure.

Information will be provided about quality building materials, security hardware and other preventive measures which can serve to deter, delay and help detect the criminal element. In most instances, these measures can help stop the amateur burglar and in many cases, slow the experienced thief, thus increasing their risk of being caught. Also, helpful hints will be provided on how to avoid the common mistakes which identifies you and your property as a potential "target".

The third goal of Operation Church Watch is to establish a complete listing of churches, synagogues and mosques in Bay County. Our objective is to "Network" these groups, with a contact person listed for each congregation, and be able to pool these potential resources if necessary. A partnership has also been established with a local cellular phone company who has agreed to supply phones that have 911 capability only. These phones can be given to someone in the congregation at each service to be used in the case of an emergency.

Operation Church Watch is expected to be a highly successful program that will touch thousands of lives in our religious communities. This program will allow for a closer working relationship between the Bay County Sheriff's Office and the congregations that we serve. We know that through the combined efforts of Law Enforcement and the citizens of our community, together, we can make a difference.

For more information about Operation Church Watch contact the Community Services Division at (850) 747-4700 ext. 2300 or send email to comsd@bayso.org