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Religious Law

Church police force would get law enforcement powers under bill approved by Alabama Senate

State Capitol of Alabama in Montgomery.

The Alabama Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow a church in Birmingham to establish its own police force.

The bill would allow Briarwood Presbyterian Church to hire police with all the powers of state law enforcement officers, provided that they meet training requirements, report NPR, AL.com and NBC News. The Associated Press had a story before the vote.

The bill now moves to the full House. A similar bill passed the state legislature last year, but it was never signed into law.

The 4,100-member church already hires off-duty officers for its events. But Eric Johnston, the lawyer who drafted the bill for the church, told AL.com that sometimes enough officers aren’t available. The bill is similar to laws that allow colleges to have their own police forces, he said.

Kansas University law professor Richard E. Levy told the AP that the bill is “making the church take the role of the government,” and he expects a court challenge if the bill becomes law.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama opposes the legislation, according to NBC News. The ACLU also opposes a second bill, the Alabama Church Protection Act, which provides limited immunity to armed congregants participating in church security programs.