Shreveport Police Department will no longer host or promote prayer vigils

The Shreveport Police Department will no longer host or promote prayer vigils after a national nonprofit that advocates for the separation of church and state argued that the practice was unconstitutional.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation laid out its objections to the practice in an Aug. 24 letter to Shreveport Police Chief Alan Crump.

Crump, according to his biography on the city website, also serves as the pastor of the Republican Missionary Baptist Church in Shreveport.

In its letter, the organization argues that vigils hosted and promoted by the police department pose a constitutional threat because they suggest the department promotes or "prefers religion over nonreligion," which violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause. The U.S. Supreme Court, the group argues, has said government must remain neutral.

Read more: https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2018/10/18/shreveport-police-no-longer-host-promote-prayer-vigils/1658378002/