A horrifying mass shooting during Sunday services at a Michigan church has left communities across the country reeling. In response, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced increased LAPD patrols around local houses of worship. That's a start, but we need more. 

L.A. is home to thousands of churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples, including hundreds of small storefront congregations that serve as the spiritual backbone of our neighborhoods. These spaces should be sanctuaries, not soft targets. If we want to prevent a tragedy like Michigan’s from happening here, we need more than a short-term police presence. We need a real plan.

We’re calling on Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles Police Department to develop a permanent, community-informed safety strategy for houses of worship. This must include input from faith leaders across denominations, security assessments for vulnerable congregations, and sustained resources for prevention, not just emergency response.

Right now, many smaller churches can’t afford private security or emergency training. They’re left to hope that tragedy doesn’t come to their doors. That’s unacceptable.

Our ask is simple. Don’t wait for L.A. to become the next headline. Work with our communities now to build a long-term safety framework that protects worshipers while respecting the diversity and dignity of our city’s faith traditions.

Stand with faith communities. Tell Mayor Bass and LAPD: Protect our houses of worship with real, lasting solutions.

Photo: (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)