Chaplain offers help for those stressful times

By Denise Dick

The priest received training through an international police-chaplain organization.

NEW SPRINGFIELD — One member of the Springfield Township Police Department doesn’t carry a gun and has no arrest powers.

The Rev. Nicholas Shori’s authority comes from a higher place.

For the last two years, Father Mr. Shori, pastor of St. Paul’s in New Middletown, has served as the township police department’s chaplain.

It’s a position that Chief Matthew F. Mohn says suits Father Shori well.

“We’re like a family here,” Mohn said.

When the chief initiated the program, officers were concerned.

“They were a little worried about having a civilian in the car,” he said. “It was a greater sense of responsibility,” ensuring the chaplain’s safety while handling calls.

Father Shori put the officers at ease, though, knowing when to offer help and when to hold back, Mohn said. The officers accept the priest as one of their own.

Father Shori sees part of his role as becoming a confidant for police officers and helping them as they deal with stressful situations daily.

That way, if a crisis occurs that requires his assistance, “they feel comfortable making the call,” he said.

The International Conference of Police Chaplains, of which Father Shori is a member, emphasizes the importance of a chaplain’s establishing relationships with officers, he said.

Father Shori, a Canton native, has been in the township for 16 years. Before coming to St. Paul’s, he served as chaplain at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

He also works as a chaplain at the Ohio State Penitentiary and teaches diversity and ethics at the Mercy School of Nursing at St. E’s.

He goes on patrol with officers roughly two days per week. He’s worked every shift so he can establish a relationship with each officer.

It’s a volunteer post, but Father Shori still had to be hired by township trustees after fulfilling most of the same requirements as other police employees including passing background and fingerprint checks.

Father Shori is available to help officers deliver bad news, such as in the case of death notifications, provide counseling in domestic situations and offer referrals to other agencies or services.

He’s also available to help officers with problems they may be having. He’s met their spouses and children, offering assistance to them as well.

“As a police officer, you’re often in an environment that isn’t family friendly,” Father Shori said. “You’re taught to trust no one and to question everything. That doesn’t always work well with family issues.”

Because the officers have gotten to know him and his way of working well, they often ask Father Shori to take the lead in cases of death notification such as a traffic accident or suicide.

“They mostly feel comfortable in letting me do that,” he said. “That’s part of the trust.”

He’s learned through training when to remain in the cruiser — so he doesn’t become another concern for the police officer.

But there are times when his services come into play that are less obvious.

Recently Father Shori counseled victims of a burglary.

“A couple of days later, I checked on them to see how they were doing,” he said. “They were impressed with the police department, and they were surprised that a chaplain would come back and make sure that they were OK.”

Sometimes people he encounters while patrolling with the officers call him for help with a juvenile who needs counseling or with a marital problem.

Some of the work can be awkward — even humorous. Sometimes Father Shori will be on patrol with an officer when the officer pulls over one of his parishioners.

“That can be interesting,” he said.

In one traffic stop, the juvenile driver who was accused of a minor traffic offense was a member of Father Shori’s congregation. When the officer asked the priest what he should do, rather than write a ticket, Father Shori suggested calling the girl’s mother.