More than 50 people packed Wesley United Methodist Church on Thursday, Oct. 22 to talk about keeping Naperville's houses of worship safe.

The gathering at the downtown Naperville church (21 E Franklin Ave) brought together members of at least seven faith communities, law enforcement and elected officials for what organizers called a "Dialogue on Hate Crimes," NCTV17 reported.

United for Peace and the Naperville Interfaith Leaders Association organized the event after the alleged failed attack at Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Aurora on Oct. 11.

A 19-year-old Palatine man faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle in connection with the alleged plot.

Police said a co-worker's tip led to the intervention. Some accounts suggest the suspect's rifle malfunctioned, though Patch reported in mid-October that authorities had not confirmed a malfunction.

Saily Joshi, a Naperville resident and Hindu community member, told the gathering the alleged attack hit close to home. "It was scary, that's a temple that our family goes to …" Joshi said, according to NCTV17. She added that friends and family hold celebrations and weddings there.

Faith leaders from Christian denominations, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Hindu and Jewish communities spoke about finding common ground and keeping each other safe. Rabbi David Eber of Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville shared how his synagogue already emphasizes security after past attacks on Jewish communities, including the 2018 Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh.

Police outline security steps

Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres outlined actions the department is taking, including adding extra patrols at religious sites and offering free on-site security assessments for houses of worship, according to NCTV17. He also encouraged faith leaders to take advantage of free training through the department's Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course, which is built on the "Avoid, Deny, Defend" strategy developed by ALERRT.

Arres said the department has a group that evaluates camera placement, lighting and vegetation at worship sites at no cost. He said he hopes the dialogue builds relationships so community members feel comfortable calling police when something seems off.

Aurora Mayor John Laesch and Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli both attended. Shalini Gupta, a board member of United for Peace, said the alleged attacker's writings targeted multiple communities. She said organizers felt it was important to bring faith leaders, elected officials and police from both cities together.

What comes next

Gupta said organizers plan to schedule additional training for faith leaders on filing police reports and detecting early warning signals online. She said she hopes faith institutions will open their doors and invite neighbors to learn about their communities.

Arres said meetings like the Oct. 22 dialogue can help residents feel comfortable calling 911 when they see something suspicious.