According to police scanners potentially 4 churches in the New Harmony Lindale area are victims of arson tonight.
Sketches of arson suspects
The church burnings bring the total up to 10 or 11 now in Texas. I live close to Dover Baptist church and drove over there to see for myself. The church was badly burning and there were around 5 – 10 fire trucks and some of the congregation and neighbors. I spoke with one of the members of the church and he told me the church was built in 1865. Clear Springs Missionary Baptist church nearby has also been set on fire by these arsonists.
I pass by this church when I’m driving to Dallas or going to Garden Valley golf club. It is so sad that these arsonists are burning down these old church landmarks.
More than a few have been called historical landmarks and I doubt it is coincidence that they are going after these old churches. It could be that they are picking churches a little off the radar to avoid getting caught or they want to burn down something memorable. Either way it is really too bad they are still doing this and I hope they are caught soon.
I would like to encourage churches to invest in a night time surveillance camera system. They can be installed on a detached shed facing the church building and video people walking or driving in to vandalize the building. These systems do not cost that much especially when comparing installing one of these systems compared to the man hours it would take to sleep in a car every night outside your church building. I have seen more than a couple churches who have people sleeping in their cars outside their churches which definitely will work as well. The camera system just seems like a stealthy way of catching them in the act and preventing further arsons.
The Church Arson Hotline numbers are: 903-939-6169 or 903-939-6172 and don’t forget there is a $25,000 reward for information leading to their arrest. If you don’t want the money call me so I can collect the money 🙂