How To Defend Your Church

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Colorado is trying to silence free speech again. A state law forces businesses to use customers' preferred pronouns even if they're biologically inaccurate. With the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian bookstore and a sports apparel company are challenging the law, but a court recently ruled against them. They appealed the ruling, and with ADF's help, they'll keep fighting another attempt by Colorado to skirt the First Amendment. Learn more about how you can support free speech by texting WIRE to 83848 or going to joinadf.com/wire.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:30)
Paying $70 plus a month for wireless, that doesn't make any sense. It's overpriced, it's unnecessary. Here is the reality. My wireless company PureTalk offers unlimited high-speed data for just $34.99 a month. That is a gigantic difference. You're getting the same core service without the bloated price tag. And the same plan used to cost more, $55, but PureTalk keeps pushing to give you more for less. We love PureTalk over here. I use it, my family uses it. Try for 30 days, no contract, no cancellation fees. Switching only takes about 10 minutes. Head on over to puretalk.com/rapiro. Make that switch, save money, keep your service. It's that simple, puretalk.com/rapiro.

**Ken Alexandro** (1:07)
When we look at a location, we look at it from the eyes of the wolf. If you can target the children's ministry, if you can harm the most precious asset that you have and the ones that are the most defenseless, that's where someone's gonna wanna hurt you.

**Georgia Howe** (1:21)
Church security has become a hot topic after several high profile attacks in recent years. A retired Nashville police officer is making it his mission to fortify local churches with security lessons any organization can implement.

**John Bickley** (1:34)
In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Agape Tactical to discuss how individuals and organizations can stop most violence before it even happens. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. This is a weekend episode of Morning Wire. Also, if you wanna see Georgia learn some self-defense tricks, stick around for the end.
Joining us now is founder of Agape Tactical, Ken Alexandro. Thank you so much for coming on.

**Ken Alexandro** (2:00)
Thank you for having me.

**John Bickley** (2:01)
So we've looked a lot at the issue of school shootings and now a lot of attacks on churches. They're being targeted in all kinds of ways. And this is your expertise. This is what you consult on.
And so we wanted to ask you some questions about how things have changed and some things that you've practically learned in terms of how to improve situations, particularly with churches, which is something we haven't talked as much about. So first of all, give us a little background, if you would, on your experience.

**Ken Alexandro** (2:29)
So I went to the University of Tennessee from 87 to 91 And when I graduated, I entered the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, ended up being an academy instructor there where I taught hand-to-hand combat and firearms for the police department, anywhere from 1200 to 1400 officers.
From there, I got selected to participate in the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force where I got to work on cases involving bank robbery, child molesters, famous people who are being blackmailed, things like that.

**John Bickley** (3:05)
So all in this region in Tennessee?

**Ken Alexandro** (3:08)
Yes. The FBI was the Middle District of Tennessee. Yes. Then when that assignment ended, I finished my last 11 years as a training officer. Being a police officer is one of the greatest joys because there's no other occupation where you can actually help make a difference to somebody's life every single day.
Even if you're arresting somebody and if you're taking bad out of that household and at least giving them some peace until they make bail and come back and get released. But man, I loved changing tires on the side of the road, just helping people and trying to let kids especially view us in a positive light.

**Georgia Howe** (3:47)
So how did you get into church security specifically? I mean, I think back to my childhood, I don't think churches needed security or at least they weren't as hardened targets like they are now. What changed and was there an event that made you passionate about that?

**Ken Alexandro** (4:03)
So it was an accident.
I'd been attending Thompson Station Church for 20 plus years, now 26 years, and in 2009, the pastor asked, even before the need for church security, he was just a forethinker and he said, hey, why don't you set up some type of safety ministry here? We would just feel better. We were growing to be a large church. We've got just a large children's population and he felt better. He knew my background, so he said, you are suited and equipped to do this.