Moniteau County Crime Watch

April 8, 2018 – Safety Workshop for Houses of Worship

A safety workshop for houses of worship, on April 8, focused on creating a church emergency plan or how to strengthen a current plan. 

Ten churches of Moniteau County represented by over forty participants attended a presentation by safety expert Gary Moore, a retired Missouri State Highway Patrolman. Moore has spent the last eight years teaching similar seminars on school and church safety all over the United States and Canada. 

Paul Fennewald, a past Missouri Homeland Security Director, offered a range of strategies to help identify and practice ways to mitigate potential threats. He pointed out that some might be as simple as knowing where to take cover in reaction to a tornado or weather-related event approaching the church, or which door for evacuation in the event of a fire. 

He asked if the congregation knows what to do in a medical emergency?  Is there a working cardiac defibulator, first aid kit, blood pressure cuff, or a wheel chair? Does a medically trained person or EMS/firefighter attend church? 

Fennewald’s program also addressed situations as severe as an unexpected harmful threat by someone, sometimes known as an active shooter situation. He pointed out that churches can be targets, much like the one in Texas a few months ago – or recently seen at schools across the country. 

Those attending received worksheets, check lists and reference materials on a flash drive which they can use to expand their security plan for their own particular church once they address specific action plans with their congregations. 

Sheriff Tony Wheatley and Deputy Shane Templeton discussed the local law enforcement’s response to various situations but indicated churches need to be prepared in advance for actions prior to their arrival. He also pointed out the helpfulness of an electronic security system, not only for an active scene, but in documenting any theft at the building. 

All speakers encouraged each church to create their plan, routinely practice it and post information that might be helpful in an actual event. 

In addition to the three speakers, the event was co-sponsored by the Shepherds of Safety, Moniteau County Law Enforcement, Moniteau Advent Evangelical Church and the Moniteau County Rural Crime Watch. 

Recognizing Telephone and Internet Scams & Frauds

~ A workshop for senior citizens to help prevent them from being the next victim ~

Who: For the citizens of Moniteau County, especially senior citizens, who might be the target of criminals and scammers using telephones and the Internet to target victims.

What: A 2-hour workshop to familiarize senior citizens with current telephone, Internet, and other forms of scams and frauds.

When: Sunday, June 24, 2018, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Where: Moniteau County Nutrition Center, 107 W Versailles Ave, California, MO  

No reservations are needed. 

Why: There is an increased frequency of criminals and scammers targeting the residents of Moniteau County, especially senior citizens, to try to steal from them. It is not uncommon for victims to lose from several hundred to multiple thousands of dollars to these scams. 

This Workshop, presented by Paul Fennewald and Gary Moore, both lifelong law enforcement professionals, is intended to provide relevant information and awareness of common scams. By attending this workshop, participants should be better equipped to recognize and deal with attempts by criminals to steal their money. 

This workshop is being provided free of charge by the sponsors, – Moniteau County Rural Crime Watch, Moniteau Evangelical Advent Church, and the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department, as a public service to the citizens of Moniteau County.

Please share with those you know.