Wilson to offer safety training for faith leaders

COLUMBIA -- S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said Friday that faith leaders are often the first people crime victims turn to for help, so he's offering them an all-day training seminar to help them deal with criminal conduct.

Some, however, think the Republican's "Faith Leader Training" seminar teeters on violating the line between church and state.

Not so, Wilson said. He has more than 100 religious leaders signed up for the free program Tuesday, and his office reached out to congregations of every kind. He said they won't turn anyone away.

The faith leaders, whether they run a church, synagogue or mosque, are among the most trusted members of a community, Wilson said. They are "people who have an audience every Wednesday and at least every Sunday."

Wilson and his team will discuss resources available for securities fraud, Internet crimes against children, the state's sex offender registry, criminal domestic violence and sexual assault and gangs. The session, to be held on Statehouse grounds, will end with a question-and-answer period.

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Washington, D.C., said the program would be better if it was being offered to a wider group of nonprofit organizations, not just religious ones. Faith groups are often the first place federal and state government officials turn to for such offerings because, Lynn said: "That's what looks good."

"I would feel a lot more comfortable that this wasn't an effort to curry favor with one segment of South Carolina's population" if more nonprofits were invited, Lynn said.

On its face, however, Lynn said he does not see any constitutional violations with the program.

Victoria Middleton, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union office in South Carolina, said her group is looking into the matter.

"It would raise concerns if the government were sponsoring a religious event or offering this opportunity exclusively to members of this community," Middleton said.

Wilson said the attorney general's office has a presence in communities throughout the state, such as in schools, but the training seminar is the first of its kind.

He plans to expand to other groups in the future.

"I am pretty sure you're going to have Republicans, Democrats and independents -- all sorts of folks will be here," Wilson said.

When he ran for office, Wilson said, he talked about the universal truth that "it didn't matter whether you're poor or rich, black, white, Asian or Hispanic: Everybody wants to be safe. Everybody wants to be protected."

The seminar is an innovative way to extend the attorney general's reach. He said the program also will let the public know that everyone has access to the office.

"You have to start somewhere," he said. "This is a first step of many."

The Rev. Rob Dewey, founder and senior chaplain of the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, called Wilson's efforts wonderful. Not only do crime victims turn toward their clergy, but so do the perpetrators, he said.

By helping the congregations spread the word about crime and safety tools, Wilson's program could end up saving a life.

"I think that our Founding Fathers have always wanted us to be involved," Dewey said. "The more knowledge, the more compassion we can have ... the better our state. Look at all the domestic violence and murders, we've got to do a better job."

Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-926-7855, follow her on Twitter at @yvonnewenger and read her Political Briefings blog.