Law enforcement is lending a hand to local faith-based organizations to help organizations prepare for potential attacks after the Jan. 15 hostage situation at a Colleyville, Texas, synagogue.
According to KRQE, police will train religious organizations on how to respond and prepare for an attack. Albuquerque Congregation Albert Rabbi Celia Surget says there is always the potential for a gunman to enter the building, and the congregation needs to be prepared.
"Unfortunately, most places of worship, most Jewish places of worship, Jewish community gathering spaces have to be mindful of safety and individual safety,” Surget told the station.
The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department said congregations can prepare themselves by putting up security cameras, creating a culture of preparedness, recognizing danger, and creating individualized security plans for each religious center.
According to The New York Times, the FBI identified Malik Faisal Akram, 44, a British citizen, as the man who took Lead Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three others hostages at the Congregation Beth-Israel synagogue at a Saturday morning service. It was an all-day standoff, with approximately 200 enforcement officers, FBI agents and hostage negotiators working to free the hostages. One male hostage was released at around 5 p.m. unharmed with the other three escaping unharmed at approximately 9:30 p.m. It is unknown why the four hostages were held.
“Whatever area where we have the community together, there’s always a potential to have an occurrence of some kind of violent event,” Capt. Jon Day with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department told KRQE. “We try to provide information as best as we can to the community to be able to protect from whatever unknown could be there.”