Like Neighborhood Watch, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office also offers a program for churches.

The church watch program, Major Bruce Temple said, officers parishioners a chance to not only go over security lapses, but safety lapses.

The sheriff’s office is currently investigating a church break-in that occurred two weeks ago outside Scotland Neck where three televisions, a DVD player and CD recorder were stolen.

Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church at Dawson’s Crossroads was the victim of this break-in, Temple said. “Although we haven't received reports of any recent trend, we recognize that an influx of residential and church break-ins do occur in November and continue typically into January. With this in mind, we wish to emphasize prevention and detection especially in locations that are secluded.”

Churches are often located in non-residential areas and are very vulnerable for theft. “We recommend that church families work together to establish observation patterns where members make an effort to look for suspicious activity in the area of the church,” Temple said. “We would encourage all of the public to engage in looking for suspicious activity especially at night and reporting it to Halifax County Central Communications. Regardless if it’s your property, we all benefit from offenders being detected and apprehended.”

Temple said these checks can be as simple as someone who works a late shift riding by a church to check for suspicious activity.

Most people who break into churches are looking for electronics and money, something Temple believes can be easily traded or converted to cash to feed a substance abuse problem.

“Some churches have alarm systems. Some don’t. That’s why we suggest people make an effort to use the ride by.”

The church watch program is a thorough program, which not only checks for vulnerability to crime, but safety on the outside of the building including trip hazards.

The program is available to any church which wants an assessment, Temple said. “We think people are happy to get the input. Churches have committees and it helps get them talking.”

To schedule a church watch assessment call Temple at 252-593-1015. To report information on the recent church break-in call Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.