From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden:
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden is proud to announce an upcoming Church Security Training Program designed to help churches proactively protect their congregations, facilities, and faith communities.
This training will be instructed by Captain Nathaniel Bates of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Captain Bates brings 16 years of real-world law enforcement experience and extensive advanced training. Captain Nathaniel Bates previously served as the Deputy Commander of the Narcotics and Criminal Interdiction Unit, where he specialized in surveillance operations, intelligence gathering, and covert enforcement activities. His background includes proactive criminal interdiction, threat identification, and operational planning in high-risk environments, experience that directly translates to the protection of congregations, staff, and facilities. He is an FBI Certified Firearms Instructor, Advanced SWAT and Hostage Rescue Instructor, with years of experience in tactical operations, protective security details, and leadership in high-risk environments.
Also assisting Captain Bates is Sergeant Nick Turner. Sgt. Turner brings 14 years of law enforcement experience and serves as an FBI certified Firearms Instructor as well as an Advanced SWAT and Hostage Rescue Instructor. Turner also specializes in school protection and security consulting for schools.
Both Captain Bates and Sgt. Turner currently serve as Team Leaders on the DeKalb County Special Response Team, bringing real-world tactical leadership, operational experience, and advanced training standards to the church security initiative.
The course is specifically tailored for church leadership, security teams, and volunteers seeking professional level guidance on protecting places of worship. Training will cover threat assessments, development of church specific security plans, and effective surveillance and camera system set ups designed to enhance early detection and deterrence.
Participants will also engage in practical, scenario-based training using non-lethal training ammunition, allowing teams to safely experience realistic decision making under stress. These scenarios are designed to reinforce communication, movement, coordination, and response strategies in a church environment.
This program emphasizes prevention, preparedness, and coordinated response through real world application and proven best practices used by law enforcement and protective security teams.
Church safety is a shared responsibility, and this training represents a proactive step toward protecting families, children, and faith communities.
For additional details and/ or to set up a training date, contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. 256-845-3801
DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the incident: “Our goal is to help churches prepare, not panic. This training will give churches the tools to protect their loved ones while preserving the welcoming and peaceful nature of worship.”
“God Bless!” Concluded Sheriff Welden.
