Police chaplaincy program set to help Hubbard residents
By Lee Murray
TheNewsOutlet.org
Hubbard
Pastors from churches in Hubbard gathered with city officials last week to flesh out plans for a citywide police chaplaincy program.
The group said it hopes to pick up where police leave off and offer advice and support to victims of crime, or people with no other outlet to discuss their problems.
“Cops are good at being cops but not so good at being counselors,” said Louis Carsone, city safety director. “There’s a need that we didn’t know how to fill, but now we’re filling that gap.”
The idea for the collaboration grew from a discussion Mayor John Darko had with Pastor David Garlich in May 2012. The pastor approached the mayor and asked how churches could help the city.
“We talked about what the churches might do for our community,” said Darko, “and I went down and we talked with Lou [Carsone], and he was very interested in the chaplain program.”
Over the course of several meetings, pastors from Chestnut Ridge Church of God, First Presbyterian, Corner House Christian Church and St. Patrick’s also came to the table. In August, they officially will launch the program under the moniker of “City Transformation Team.”
Pastor Garlich, of Calvary Baptist Church, said that assisting the city in this capacity is his religious duty.
“My Bible tells me that the mayor is in a place of leadership because God placed him there,” he said. “My task is to help him to do what God called him to do.”
Chaplains will be on call to intervene during police calls. Police officers will be issued reference cards that include the contact details of each chaplain and information on what issues they each feel comfortable dealing with. This information will remain private, the team agreed.
In addition to responding to calls, the team will station a chaplain at the bimonthly mayor’s court, which hears minor cases. The idea is that people with personal issues stemming from problems in court can request to speak with the chaplain for neutral and confidential advice.
Chaplains will ride along with officers to lend an ear to their problems too, said Pastor Garlich.
“They have a very stressful job,” he said. “As we develop relationships with them, it gives us a chance to be a friend and confidante and help them in their personal lives.”
Police Chief James Taafe said that the City Transformation Team would help in domestic-violence cases where it is difficult for police to offer advice to victims.
“One of the parties is usually unwilling to sign a complaint because it takes the breadwinner from that family,” said Taafe. “They don’t realize that there is a net that will catch them. They’re afraid.”
Taafe added that police are only interested in solving the problem and moving on to the next call.
“It’s ‘what happens next’ that was always the question, and that’s where these folks stepped up,” he added.
The City Transformation Team also discussed a volunteer-driven system for checking on elderly parishioners, using volunteers to call on elderly residents and make sure they are safe, and scheduling the senior van.
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