Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York, and the neighboring St Paul’s Chapel have installed metal detectors to screen visitors to the historic sites.
Church officials said they have been considering the change for a long time, with input from the congregation, so visitors “may find the sanctuary they seek within our walls.”
“While it saddens Trinity to implement these measures, the times we live in necessitate this action,” said Patti Walsh, chief communications officer for Trinity Church Wall Street. “There is no imminent threat to Trinity or St. Paul’s, and planning for these new measures has been in the works for some time.” …
The metal detectors were installed March 1, and Walsh said they will stay in place for the foreseeable future. Visitors are asked to submit to a physical search of purses, backpacks, briefcases, luggage and other large bags brought into the church or chapel as well as pass through the metal detector.
Trinity’s historic graveyard is popular with visitors to the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton. The church is close to the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and St Paul’s Chapel offered sanctuary and support to first responders and aid workers in the aftermath of those attacks.
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Featured image: screenshot from the website of Trinity Wall Street