Yes, this is a thing:
How concerned are churches about security?
Recently a Texas church ordered a bulletproof pulpit from a Missouri company that makes lecterns for the federal government.
“Their fear was that an active shooter would come in and shoot the place,” said Paul Alexander, founder of Executive Wood Products in Sullivan, Mo., which makes anti-ballistic lecterns.
What they feared did happen at another church in Texas. A shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on Nov. 5 left 26 dead and 20 wounded. That same day, a shooting at a church in Fresno, California left two dead. A shooting at a church in Antioch, Tennessee on Sept. 24 killed one and left several injured.
More than 91 people have been killed in 22 church-related shootings since 1999.
With three fatal shootings in 2017, this has been the deadliest year for killings at U.S. churches. It has been a recurring problem, from seven dead at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Texas in 1999 to nine killed at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015.
The recent Texas shooting has churches nationwide reviewing their security policies to see if there are precautions they can take to prevent attacks against churchgoers.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is offering safety awareness training to area churches.
“In light of incidents we have seen in other areas of our country we want to insure we are as prepared as we can be here,” said Sheriff Mike Hale. “My prayer is that the training is highly attended and effective but never ever needed.”
A similar program by the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office last month drew about 1,000 people and forced them to move to a larger venue.
A company called Bullet Blocker offers the lectern shown above (cost: $900) and notes:
This custom product was requested by a Pastor that wanted to have some ballistic coverage in a lectern. Each side and the front of the inside of the lectern were custom designed with Bulletblocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof panels. The Pastor would lower himself down behind the lectern when in need of protection.
Ballistics
* Removable Kevlar bulletproof interior liner for cleaning and maintenance.
* BulletBlocker utilizes the latest DuPont Kevlar technologies.
* Tested to the NIJ IIIA standards stopping a 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 9mm, .45 caliber hollow point ammunition and more.
