This is objectively speaking a bad idea. First, there is the whole issue of conflict of interests. If I report to church officials is my primary job to uphold t

This is objectively speaking a bad idea. First, there is the whole issue of conflict of interests. If I report to church officials is my primary job to uphold the law of the land or to protect the interests of the people who pay me. Second, it sets a precedent that it's ok for religious organizations of a certain size to demand their own police force. If this church feels that it's congregation isn't adequately protected it should be sufficient for the current local police department to grant them a permanent fixture of officers. This is how many colleges work. The officers are actual policeman and work a beat on campus but still report to the normal chain of command. Third, is the constitutionality of this. Police are inherently a government function. Okaying a religious police force is at best dubious, per the Establishment Clause (law experts can debate that). Fourth are the obvious bad optics of this, for all of the previously outline reasons. Fifth, this is almost guaranteed to blow up in their faces the second anything even remotely questionable happens. It's such an unnecessary risk to take, because there is going to be a questionable call made (because that happens everyday in police departments everywhere) and they are going to get point blank asked whether they've just deputized a religious police force, and they are going to get sued, and boycotted, and it's really more a matter of when not if.