Church seeks to establish it's own police force.

[Alvecia]

When it comes to stuff like this I think it's better to overestimate. Any is too much.

Spotlight wasn't an overestimation. Church sex abuse scandals are worldwide and they keep happening.

The coverups being the cherry on top, so to speak.

[Fartsniffage]

The UK is a religious state. The point is that it's a state, not just a church.

Most of Scandinavia would qualify as a religious state as well.

Very true.

[Costa Fierro]

Not really. For one thing they're mostly going to be patrolling the church's school and seminary and in that respect, they're no different to public or private police who do exactly the same thing. Do you honestly think that the church is going to start enforcing some sort of theocracy on the general public?

After further reading, I concede the point. The police department looks like it'll liaise with the church the same way other local law enforcement agencies do with local areas.

I think it's more along the lines of regular public or private campus police. What they're intending is, more or less, a self sufficient force albeit without any detention facilities, with the local police department providing said facilities.

[Longweather]

I mean, technically the Pope has his own police force. Swiss Guards much?

Swiss Guards only have jurisdiction within the non-sovereign State of Vatican City that is ruled through the Holy See. Properties owned by the Catholic Church are subject to the laws and policies of the host nation. The Swiss Guard can't go Inquisition things up on properties owned by the Church anywhere but Vatican City.

Anyways, as others have stated, I don't see an issue.

[Costa Fierro]

I mean, technically the Pope has his own police force. Swiss Guards much?

Swiss Guards only have jurisdiction within the non-sovereign State of Vatican City that is ruled through the Holy See. Properties owned by the Catholic Church are subject to the laws and policies of the host nation. The Swiss Guard can't go Inquisition things up on properties owned by the Church anywhere but Vatican City.

Anyways, as others have stated, I don't see an issue.

Technically the Swiss Guard is the military, not the official law enforcement force of the Vatican. That would, I think, more or less rest with the the Gendarmerie.

[Aclion]

They aren't talking about a security guard.

"I read the title and am now fully informed"

[Ifreann]

I don't know the details, but it really seems to just be a group of people volunteering to protect church property. The Cossacks in Moscow already do this to protect from vandals, and nothing has really gone wrong there, so, I don't see why there is such a fuss over it.

No, this church is trying to get permission to have an actual police department.

---

Because the police should be accountable to the state, which is in turn accountable to the people. Not to Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Then you have absolutely no idea how police actually function in the United States. Whilst most regular police forces by extension are accountable to the people (in theory at least), only state police and other law enforcement officers employed by the state government are accountable to that state's government. The same applies to federal law enforcement. All other publicly funded law enforcement is done at the local level, i.e individual counties and city councils. And that is before you get to the plethora of tribal police and campus police/security, as well as private police forces and security used to patrol and protect private property of large corporations. Hell, even transport agencies in the United States and Canada operate their own police or private security.

What is being proposed here is no different to a campus police force or a private police force. They have no jurisdiction outside of the campus' property and they are essentially glorified security guards, albeit with powers of arrest and a shiny new cop car (or second hand one, brand new cop cars are fairly expensive).

Oh, well, in that case the police should be accountable to the state, which is in turn accountable to the people. Not to Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

[Aboim]

How do they punish these days? Electric shock?

[Costa Fierro]

Oh, well, in that case the police should be accountable to the state, which is in turn accountable to the people. Not to Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

So all campus police forces should be accountable to the state and not to each individual administrative board?

[Ifreann]

Oh, well, in that case the police should be accountable to the state, which is in turn accountable to the people. Not to Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

So all campus police forces should be accountable to the state and not to each individual administrative board?

Yes.

[Farnhamia]

Oh, well, in that case the police should be accountable to the state, which is in turn accountable to the people. Not to Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

So all campus police forces should be accountable to the state and not to each individual administrative board?

Technically, they are. It depends on the state, of course.

[Liriena]

Well, this is a stupid and dangerous idea.

And offensive too, since it appears they don't plan on naming it the Spanish Inquisition.

Say, remember when right-wing Americans whined about sharia law and Islamic courts?

[Salus Maior]

Well, this is a stupid and dangerous idea.

And offensive too, since it appears they don't plan on naming it the Spanish Inquisition.

Say, remember when right-wing Americans whined about sharia law and Islamic courts?

Except it's not.

It's literally going to be like school security. They're subject to the law.

[Fartsniffage]

Well, this is a stupid and dangerous idea.

And offensive too, since it appears they don't plan on naming it the Spanish Inquisition.

Say, remember when right-wing Americans whined about sharia law and Islamic courts?

Except it's not.

It's literally going to be like school security. They're subject to the law.

School police. The difference is important. Security doesn't have the power of arrest, police do.

And it baffles me that people not employed by the state are granted the power of arrest in the US. In the rest of the world that would just be kidnapping.

Edit: In fairness, I feel the same about the UK allowing prisons to be run by private companies.

[Empire of Narnia]

This is my fantasy.

[Fartsniffage]

This is my fantasy.

Your fantasy involves men in uniforms, handcuffs and a truncheon? To each their own I guess.

[Internationalist Bastard]

This is my fantasy.

Your fantasy involves men in uniforms, handcuffs and a truncheon? To each their own I guess.

You mean that's not you'rs?

[Minzerland II]

Seems to be another case of campus security, like any other. I don't see why people consider it, and so vehemently too, 'stupid and dangerous'.

[Fartsniffage]

Your fantasy involves men in uniforms, handcuffs and a truncheon? To each their own I guess.

You mean that's not you'rs?

I prefer the uniforms to be on women.....but I'm flexible.

[Internationalist Bastard]

You mean that's not you'rs?

I prefer the uniforms to be on women.....but I'm flexible.

Eh, you never know, you ever get hit by a nun, they'd be good officers

[The Two Jerseys]

What kind of crime is going on at this church that they need a sworn police force? I should think that a security guard with citizen's arrest powers would be more than sufficient...

[FelrikTheDeleted]

I prefer the uniforms to be on women.....but I'm flexible.

Eh, you never know, you ever get hit by a nun, they'd be good officers

Very good indeed.

[UCE Watchdog of the Puppets]

How big is this church? How many people attend it? It seems rather frivolous for them to ask for such a privilege.

[Internationalist Bastard]

How big is this church? How many people attend it? It seems rather frivolous for them to ask for such a privilege.

It's a moderate campus I understand

[UCE Watchdog of the Puppets]

How big is this church? How many people attend it? It seems rather frivolous for them to ask for such a privilege.

It's a moderate campus I understand

"Moderate"?
Can't be more than a few hundred people in the campi of the largest church in my area, a televangelist project of some kind. Is this the same number of people or less?