Atheists Put an End to Police Prayer Vigils, but Fail to Stop 'Pastors on Patrol'

A police department in Louisiana will no longer host or promote citywide monthly prayer vigils following a complaint from one of the nation's leading atheist groups.

The Shreveport Police Department, which is led by Baptist pastor and Police Chief Alan Crump, has agreed to no longer organize prayer gatherings after it received a letter from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The letter was sent in late August and objected to the fact that the police department "organizes and promotes prayer vigils" on behalf of about 20 pastors who are involved in the department's "Pastors on Patrol" chaplaincy program, according to KTBS.

According to a screenshot of a department Facebook post promoting the event, the monthly prayer vigil was designed to "unite community, police and community leaders in prayer" for the city.

FFRF's letter not only called for an end to the prayer vigils but also for an end to the department's chaplaincy program.

The secular legal organization, which advocates for a strict separation of church and state, argues that the department's participation in these events violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution because it gives off an "appearance of bias" toward citizens of faith and "hostility" toward citizens of no faith.

Read more about prayer vigils on The Christian Post.