Articles with research

Planning and Armed Congregants Top Church Security Measures

Around 4 in 5 US Protestant Pastors (81%) Say Their Church Has Some Type of Security Measure in Place When They Gather for Worship.

By Aaron Earls

Most churches have some type of security measures in place during worship services. Pastors point to intentional plans and armed church members more than other measures, but compared to three years ago, fewer say they have plans and more say they have gun-carrying congregants.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

Numerous fatal shootings have occurred at churches in recent years. In March 2023, an armed assailant killed six people at The Covenant School, a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. Shootings have also occurred at other places of worship like Jewish synagogues and Sikh temples.

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of Church Security ]

When asked about their protocols when they gather for worship, around 4 in 5 US Protestant pastors (81%) say their church has some type of security measure in place, according to a study from Lifeway Research. Still, more than 1 in 6 (17%) say they don’t use any of the seven potential measures included in the study, and 2% aren’t sure.

Read More…

Nebraska Is Now the 27th USA State That Allows Permitless Carrying of Concealed Firearms

A second state has now been added to the majority of states in the USA which allow the concealed carry of firearms without the need for a permit or license from the government.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed Bill LB 77 into law April 25, 2023, enacting permitless carry in the Cornhusker State making Nebraska the 27th state to enact such legislation. The new law provides for carrying of concealed handguns without a permit, changes provisions relating to concealed weapons, and prohibits certain regulation of weapons by cities, villages, and counties.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Florida Is Now the 26th USA State That Allows Permitless Carrying of Concealed Firearms ]

Under the new law, which will take effect 3 months after the legislative session ends, Nebraskans and non-residents 21 and older will no longer need a license to carry concealed, though individuals must still be legally eligible to possess handguns. Carry licenses will still be available to eligible individuals who wish to acquire one for various purposes, such as compliance with federal law prohibiting firearm possession in school zones (see the US Code of Federal Gun Laws 18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)) and reciprocity with other states.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, USA State Constitutions Providing for Armed Self-Defense ]

The 27 Constitutional Carry states now are

  1. Alabama
  2. Alaska
  3. Arkansas
  4. Arizona
  5. Florida
  6. Georgia
  7. Idaho
  8. Indiana
  9. Iowa
  10. Kansas
  11. Kentucky
  12. Maine
  13. Mississippi
  14. Missouri
  15. Montana
  16. Nebraska
  17. New Hampshire
  18. North Dakota
  19. Ohio
  20. Oklahoma
  21. South Dakota
  22. Tennessee
  23. Texas
  24. Utah
  25. Vermont
  26. West Virginia
  27. Wyoming.

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of the 2nd Amendment ]

Invite SemperVerus® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

Join the SemperVerus Brotherhood™!

Why 21 Feet Is Not a ‘Safe’ Distance

An article published on Police1.com reports research that confirms 21 feet is not necessarily the magic distance to successfully ward off every deadly threat and that more distance could be more apparently required. While this article contains useful information, it unfortunately includes mischaracterizations that need clarification.

First, it erroneously begins: The 21-foot rule has been a topic of conversation in law enforcement since the 1980s when Salt Lake City Police Department Lieutenant Dennis Tueller developed a training drill for his fellow officers. But it is NOT a “rule” and should never be considered a “rule.” It is a training drill intended to be used as a general standard in practice to hone defensive skills.

Second, it states: In this drill, an officer played the role of a suspect with an edged weapon who would charge another officer who was standing about 21 feet away with a holstered weapon. Properly understood, The Tueller Drill does NOT restrict the threat to only an edged weapon.

Appearing in the March 1983 issue of SWAT magazine, How Close Is Too Close? by Dennis Tueller is the original article credited with first establishing the importance of maintaining a “reactionary gap” in defensive force incidents. It begins with the very clear threat scenario description: The “good guy” with the gun against the “bad guy” with the knife (or machete, axe, club, tire-iron, etc.). You’ll notice police trainer Lt. Tueller did NOT limit the threat to only knives or other edged weapons; he included ANY striking weapon (“club, tire-iron, etc.”) used in a person’s hand that is capable of causing death or great bodily harm. The original article illustration itself shows the threat using a club, not a knife.

Read More…

Florida Is Now the 26th USA State That Allows Permitless Carrying of Concealed Firearms

More than half of the USA now allows the concealed carry of firearms without the need for a permit or license from the government.

Florida became the 26th state when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Bill CS/HB 543–Public Safety into law April 3, 2023 that eliminates the requirement for an individual to obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm. The 26 Constitutional Carry states now are

Read the Crime Prevention Research Center article, Florida Becomes the 26th Constitutional Carry State

  1. Alabama
  2. Alaska
  3. Arkansas
  4. Arizona
  5. Florida
  6. Georgia
  7. Idaho
  8. Indiana
  9. Iowa
  10. Kansas
  11. Kentucky
  12. Maine
  13. Mississippi
  14. Missouri
  15. Montana
  16. New Hampshire
  17. North Dakota
  18. Ohio
  19. Oklahoma
  20. South Dakota
  21. Tennessee
  22. Texas
  23. Utah
  24. Vermont
  25. West Virginia
  26. Wyoming.

Read More…