Church police dept. would be U.S. first, under Alabama bill
An Alabama church could be the first in the nation to open its own police force under a bill progressing through the Alabama legislature, despite disagreement whether it might violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Briarwood Presbyterian Church PCA in Birmingham would have permission to hire one or more police officers as church staff members under the bill that has passed the Alabama Senate and is progressing through the House. The church of 4,000 congregants and 2,000 students enrolled in ...