TexasCHLforum.com

After one of Jimmy Meek's seminars (about 3 or 4 years ago) several of us asked about his statement that chl holders that are on an "eyes and ears" team could not be armed. His response is that he specifically requested information from DPS based on the opinion quoted below. To be fair to him he is only restating what DPS told him. DPS position is If it even looks like any type of "security" the state will pursue for having an illegal security company if person is armed. He told us about a mega church in Dallas that was caught and paid a fine. It is a class A misdemeanor that can result in a year in jail and a $4000.00 fine.

NOTE: At his seminars he has multiple vendors that will sell you services including security companies. He also spends time on sexual predators and the need to be proactive in your church for them as well. One of the vendors spoke about best practices to keep sexual predators from your kids and offered excellent suggestions. But they also are there to sell their services like background check systems etc.

From DPS website here is an official PSB opinion: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RSD/PSB/La ... in_sum.htm
May 10, 2007
A volunteer security patrol made up of church members would generally require licensing under the provisions of Section 1702.108 or 1702.222, regardless of whether any compensation is received as a result of the activities. The only exception to licensing provided by the legislature for nonprofit and civic organizations is found in Section 1702.327, which applies specifically to nonprofit and civic organizations that employ peace officers under certain circumstances and would not be applicable here.

However, there is one exception to licensing under Chapter 1702 provided by the legislature that could arguably apply, which can be found in section 1702.323 (“Security department of Private Business”). This exception would allow volunteers to provide security services exclusively for one church, as long as they do not carry firearms and as long as they do not wear “a uniform with any type of badge commonly associated with security personnel or law enforcement or a patch or apparel with ‘security’ on the patch or apparel.” See Tex. Occ. Code §1702.323(a) & (d)(2). Thus, the wearing of a uniform or any apparel containing the word “security” would subject them to the licensing requirements of the act.

Ron

Jimmy Meeks, a Hurst Police Officer and Pastor, started SheepDog Seminars for churches: http://www.sheepdogseminarsforchurches.com/home.html His purpose is to let church leaders know that there is a real danger out there and to make them realize there is a need to be prepared.

Carl Chinn speaks at the SheepDog seminars was the facility manager at Focus on the Family when the hostage taking and shooting incident in 1996 and on his church's security team involved in responding to a shooting in 2007. His website is:http://www.carlchinn.com/ I really recommend reading his book: "Evil Invades Sanctuary".

Those two sites are great places to start to get churches and other faith based organizations aware of the danger out there.

Ron