Program resurrected after a decade
As a chaplain for the Morgan Hill Police Department, Deborah Thimsen-Villa could be called, day or night, to respond to a variety of traumatic situations.
She and four chaplains are the first for the department since the early 1990s, according to MHPD Cmdr. Joe Sampson.
In the unfortunate case that an officer must shoot a suspect, for example, a chaplain could be called to offer support to the officer and his or her family. If an officer is shot, a chaplain might work with the family of the officer, as well as other officers in the department.
A Chaplain’s Work
“A police chaplain’s work provides another dimension of support other than the staff of the police department,” Sampson said, “as well as for the community at large.”
Chaplains rotate being on call by months. The number of hours they work depends upon the number of incidents they are called to respond to. Because major incidents in Morgan Hill are sparse, chaplains might go through their entire month without a call; on the other hand, they could have several calls to respond to right in a row.
No Proselytizing
Although the chaplains are affiliated with religious institutions, Sampson said, their job is not to proselytize or to offer solely spiritual comfort.
Sampson resurrected the program, saying he was unable to find much documentation; MHPD Sgt. Mark Brazeal worked with Sampson to create a chaplain guidebook for the department.
“The military have long had chaplains, and police organizations are modeled after the military,” Sampson said. “It’s something that makes a lot of sense for law enforcement agencies, given the kinds of situations we face on a regular basis.”
Thimsen-Villa said the volunteer position is interesting and exciting as it offers another view of the community and an insider’s look at law enforcement. The chaplains have been working closely with the department, riding along with officers during their shifts and learning the intricacies of the various positions in the department.
“We are always looking for ways to help in the community,” said Thimsen-Villa, director of the children’s ministry at Morgan Hill Bible Church. “This program is a great opportunity to be a resource, hopefully something that will benefit many in our community.”
Thimsen-Villa and the other chaplains recently participated in a full day of training in dealing with negotiation situations, such as when a suspect is holding hostages or holds officers at bay with threats of suicide or harm to the officers.
The chaplains participated in three different scenarios, she said, and the training allowed them to see the kinds of stressful situations officers have to negotiate in with the element of danger removed.
“We learned there are times we may have the opportunity to interject, to offer some assistance, a different perspective or advice, to the officers during negotiations,” she said.
According to the Web site for the International Conference of Police Chaplains, which Sampson said helped him put together the program for the MHPD, chaplains serve officers and the community, regardless of their faith, or lack of it.
“…When the chaplain is working in the police world, each is ‘chaplain’ for everyone, not the religious leader of a particular tradition serving a particular congregation or service agency.
“Chaplains serve many personal and spiritual needs of individuals where they are, when they need the support of another person who comes to them without judgment, with openness, and cares for them until the crisis moment is over.”
Chaplain Larry McElvain, of the Morgan Hill Bible Church, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and he sees the work as an opportunity to help in specific ways.
“A lot of the work the officers have to do can upset the family,” he said. “Sometimes they are not free to talk. If the wife doesn’t have someone to talk to about what’s going on, to process what she’s dealing with, it can cause problems.”
Reaching Out
McElvain decided to become a chaplain to reach out to the community and because he works with many in the community dealing with “life issues,” and he believes he has something to offer the community.
The Role of Chaplains
He emphasized that the role of the chaplains would not be to talk of spiritual issues unless the person they are helping wants to pray, for example.
“It would be inappropriate,” he said. “We would never bring up something religious unless they initiated it. None of us would try in any way to push religion either on the officers or on community members.”
Three of the five chaplains are associated with the Morgan Hill Bible Church, she said, while one is a member of the West Hills Community Church, and another is affiliated with The Lighthouse Christian Church.
There have been several incidents in the recent past where a chaplain could have been of great benefit to the department and the community, Sampson said.
An accident on Highway 101 in the past year, in which a baby was ejected from a vehicle and died at the scene, for example, was particularly distressing for the officer who was first on the scene and whose wife was expecting a child. A recent train accident in which a young woman was killed when the train hit the truck she was riding in would have been a situation where a chaplain would have been called to support community members who witnessed the accident and officers who responded.
Officer Josh Norris said after the train accident, a meeting was held during which rank was put aside, and all involved were allowed to voice their thoughts and feelings.
“I have found the support of the other officers to be very good,” Norris said. “We’re often able to sit down one-on-one. I think the chaplain program would be good for someone especially religious.”
Filling a Need
Brazeal sees the program filling a need the department has had for a long time.
“Sometimes it’s good to have someone from the outside, someone with a different perspective,” he said.
The chaplains will next participate in field training similar to officers new to MHPD, Thimsen-Villa said.
The cost to the department is minimal, Sampson added. The original budget for the program was $500, and if there are opportunities for additional training programs for the chaplains outside the department, the newly-reorganized Community Law Enforcement Association may be a funding source for those training sessions.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 Ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
