WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A Wichita church has expanded safety actions, setting up more cameras and lights and even selecting Wichita police officers to stand outside its doorways through companies. Senior Pastor Ryan Emmons of Friendship Baptist Church at Pawnee and Minnesota south Wichita, is disappointed just after catalytic converters ended up stolen kind beneath vehicles in the parking lot during products and services in new months.
“It’s actually discouraging and I want persons to truly feel safe when they come,” Emmons mentioned.
He claimed a thief or burglars attempted four thefts of catalytic converters in the very last six months.
“My truck had each of them, I have a Toyota Tundra and the two of them were being stolen out from underneath my truck. And then our church bus that we have and then another individual from our church missing them also,” Emmons claimed.
Emmons claimed with the greater security measures, they’ve been actively making an attempt to capture the intruders, but it’s been a challenging method. He reported there’s a stability staff at the church, but there is not a lot they can do with burglars striking so quickly.
“The one time, they did it in about two and a 50 percent minutes. It does not take prolonged at all,” he claimed.
Emmons wishes people who attend his expert services not to have to fret about their automobiles.
“When you come to church, you’re fired up. You get to hear some preaching and some teaching, you are with good friends, and you go out there to start out your car or truck and your coronary heart sinks,” he said. “And it’s not an quick point to swallow.”
Emmons claimed to get the expense to get the church’s bus fastened right after that catalytic converter theft was about $1.200. He mentioned he hopes ramping up stability initiatives will help to preserve thieves away.
Late final thirty day period, Wichita police claimed there was almost 1,200 incidents of catalytic converter thefts documented in the town this year. It is a dilemma that cities throughout the U.S. are also looking at.
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