Plant City Police Department Hosts Law Enforcement Chaplain Training

The program, offered by the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, is in response to the growing need for emotional and spiritual care among law enforcement officers.

Through all types of natural and manmade disasters,fist responders,who are held to high standardsofphysical,socialandmentalfitnss, are always there for the community. But who is there for fist responders? In response to the growing need for emotional and spiritual care to law enforcement officers, Billy Graham’s Rapid ResponseTeam Ministry (BG-RRT) has developed a four-day/32-hour Law Enforcement Chaplain Training Program (LECTP) to train citizens, typically former officers, to become chaplains, who can be deployed where they’re needed to provide spiritual guidance, pastoral counseling and offer stabilizing support during critical times involving grief and loss.

The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) hosted a training program for 19 participants last week. The department knows fist-hand how beneficialchaplains can be during times of crisis. A team was deployed to Plant City in December 2018 after Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s Office Deputy Terry Strawn shot and killedhiswife,daughterandsix-year-oldgranddaughter before killing himself in front of three deputies in close proximity to Plant City High School.

Billy Graham Law Enforcement Ministry Manager David Rutledge said that’s exactly the type of situation the chaplains are prepared to help officers cope with traumatic events.“It goes beyond challenges to your faith,”he said. Rutledge, a former police officer who worked homicides for a signifiant portion of his 30year career.“For me it wasn’t a single incident but years of absorbing other people’s pain and trauma and that sticks with you the rest of your life,” said Rutledge. After he retired and didn’t have a daily workload of calls and cases, the years of pigeonholing his emotions brought an onslaught of feelings, which he said can manifest in a myriad of ways, from high blood pressure to substance abuse to suicidal thoughts.

He said chaplains are deployed immediately following traumatic events to help officers deal with their emotions.“Studies show that if there’satraumaticincidentandyougetofficers talking about it as soon as it happens that can help and officers are more apt to open up to otherofficers,”hesaid.“We’reteachingtheministry of presence,simply to be there and listen.”

He recalls getting a call around lunchtime about an officer death in South Carolina. By dinner, he had four chaplains deployed to the small community, where they set up a room where officers could talk about what had hap- pened, had ride-alongs with deputies during shifts,attendedthememorialserviceandwere available afterwards to talk and took the deputies who worked shift with the fallen officer and their wives out to dinner.“There’s no easy fixin that situation but it’s amazing how just listening to people provides comfort,”said Rutledge.

The BG-RRT began in 2001 when Franklin Graham was in New York after the 9/11 terrorist attack. He received a vision of a core of crisis-trained volunteer chaplains that could be deployed at a moment’s notice. There are now more than 2,200 volunteer chaplains throughout the world. The LECTP program wasstartedin2014,whenGraham’sleadership team wanted to findways to better support law enforcement.

PCPDChiefBradford’swife,SusanBradford, became a crisis-trained chaplain two years ago after retiring from Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s Office.“There were shifts where I went from death to death to death and those are things you don’t forget,” she said.“I had some anger come out just from the accumulation of it all but by the grace of God I was able to correct it with the Lord’s help.”Bradford credits her personal relationship withJesus Christ as a key component to coping with grief and loss associated with her duties as a law enforcement officer.

She’s been deployed as a chaplain to two different grief events,both involving the death of an officer. “It seems to help to have someone there to pray with them and be there to listen,” she said. This weekend she’s going to Englewood to work alongside people who are still, months after Hurricane Ian, mucking out homes. Her reward for the service isn’t a paycheck. “My fulfillmentis seeing God work miracles,” she said.

CourseattendeesreceivedaBG-RRTLECTP certifiate upon completion of the training. While completion of the LECTP meets some of the requirements for BG-RRTchaplaincy,an approved application along with further training is required in order to deploy as a BG-RRT chaplain.

The next LECTP will be offered Feb. 6 - 9 at Florida International University Police DepartmentinMiami.Registrationisfreebutstudents pay for transportation,lodging and meals.For moreinformationortoregisterfortheprogram visit www.billygraham.org.

COPS CORNER istock

January 20

Rent Free

2400 block of W. Reynolds St. Burglary / criminal mischief: An officer responded to the listed location and met with the complainants who advised that they discovered two trailers in the parking lot had been occupied by unknown individuals, with large amounts of trash and clothing inside.

CROSS-COUNTRY CRIME

1700 block of Turkey Creek Rd.

Stolen vehicle recovery: An officer responded to the business at the listed location and met with the victim who advised that the vehicle they purchased had been reported stolen out of Pennsylvania. The vehicle was recovered and the reporting agency was subsequently notified

JUMPING CARS

1100 block of W. Ball St. Warrant arrest: An officer made contact with an individual after responding to a report that they were jumping on cars at the listed location. The individual stated that they jumped on a car because they were being chased by a dog and a records check of the individual revealed an active warrant issued on Jan. 19 out of Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s Offie. The warrant was verified and the individual was subsequently arrested and later transported to Orient Road Jail. The officer then additionally made contact with a separate individual who advised that their car was the one jumped on. Upon inspection, it was noted that no new damage was observed as a result.

JANUARY 21

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Felony retail theft: An officer responded to a business at the listed location and met with loss prevention employee in reference to theft. One individual was subsequently arrested for felony retail theft and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

HOME GOODS

1100 block of GranfieldAve. Grand theft: An officer responded to the residence at the listed location and met with the victim who advised that fie boxes of faucets, lights and fans, valued at $1,800, was stolen.

JANUARY 22

SHED ACHE

1100 block of Mendonsa Rd. Burglary to a structure: An officer responded to the residence at the listed location and met with the victim who advised that the shed located in the southwest corner of the backyard was entered sometime between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20, resulting in an unknown amount of mechanics power and hand tools, along with an unknown amount of Christmas ornaments, being taken without permission.

UNLOCKED AND LOADED

Griffin Bd. / Turkey Creek Rd. Criminal mischief: An officer responded to the listed location and met with a security officer contracted by the local homeowners association who reported a broken lock on the trafficate.

DOUBLE CHECKED

100 block of W. Baker St. Uttering a forged instrument: An officer responded to a financial institution at the listed location in reference to an individual attempting to cash a fraudulent check for $800. The individual was subsequently arrested and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

JANUARY 26

BROKEN TO BITS

4300 block of Sterling Commerce

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