Media
Release
CONTACT:
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mayor
Albert Kelly
(856)
455-3230 Ext 200
BRIDGETON ADDS NEW POLICE CHAPLAIN – IMPACT
FELT NEAR AND FAR
They’re present on the
streets, yet easily missed- they’re behind the scenes, yet on the front lines;
they are police chaplains and Bridgeton will be adding a new one to their ranks
according to Bridgeton Mayor Albert B. Kelly- also a member of the Police
Chaplain TEAM.
Pastor Daniel Vasquez of Bridgeton
Fellowship, who has been active in the program, is set to be sworn in by
Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari at the March 1st City Council
meeting.
“The chaplains serve
several important needs; whether comforting a family member, counseling with
teens as part of a station house adjustment intervention, or calming emotions
in a tense situation, chaplains are one of the resources that can help in a
variety of ways” said Kelly
Working an average of
twenty hours a month in Bridgeton and County-wide along with other teams as
needed, some have traveled as far as Baltimore and Missouri as part of their
work according to Bridgeton Fellowship’s Daniel Vasquez.
“We have also had
Bridgeton Chaplains respond and assist in the civil unrest in Ferguson and
Baltimore. So not only do we assist locally, but we are also called upon when
there is a national or state-wide incident or need” said Vasquez.
The chaplains represent a
cross-section of Bridgeton’s faith-based community including Bethany
Seventh-Day Adventist Church (Mayor Kelly), Union Baptist Temple (Albert Morgan
and Andre Jones), Glory Tabernacle (David Hadley), In His Image (Dennis
Thompson), First Wesleyan Church Doug Heckman), and St. Andrew's Episcopal
Church (Ellen Rutherford).
Whether on a street
corner, in a residence, or in an ER waiting room, they count it a privilege to
be able to assist the community in times of need. But the chaplains are equally
concerned about the well-being of police officers as well.
“We have seen the
effectiveness of our team being able to sit with the men and women who daily
put their lives on the line to protect our city, and just listen to them.
Police officers see and hear things that the citizens do not hear nor see and
we are able to help debrief them and be there to support them in their
day-to-day activities” said Vasquez.
Perhaps their biggest
impact is among the communities’ youth- often in the form of station house
adjustments for juvenile offenders- working closely with the juvenile unit and
patrol officers when a teen is arrested
for the first time.
“The chaplains are able to
sit down with the young person and in lieu of conventional charges we are able
to counsel them and help direct them to right choices. We then follow this up
with community service, with local houses of worship, Salvation Army, and other
programs. We continue the mentorship in hopes that they would think through all
their choices in the future. We have seen a drop in secondary offences since
this program began” Vasquez said.
With a busy but productive
2015 under their collective belts, the March 1st City Council
meeting will not only see the swearing-in of a new chaplain, it will be an
opportunity to recognize the positive impact the program is having on the
street.
“Volunteerism, the
faith-based community, local government, and law enforcement working
side-by-side to make the community a better place; it’s collaboration at its
best” Kelly said.
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