Deacon Mike Stinsman of the Maple Shade Police Chaplain Corp is seen heading out to a call in the newly appointed Chaplain Response Vehicle. The Chaplain Vehicle is a repurposed previous Maple Shade PD Detective Car. The Maple Shade Police Chaplains will use the Response Vehicle when they respond to calls and events in the community alongside the Maple Shade Police Department.

A special thanks goes to recently retired Ptl. Michael Anyzek for designing the graphics package and Acerbo’s Auto Trim and Lettering of Medford, NJ for installing the graphics.

The Maple Shade Police Chaplains responded to 24 activations for this calendar year. Those activations included: 9 deceased persons where a loved one or family member(s) needed comforting, 4 counseling sessions for subjects in need of direction, assistance or a kind ear, 2 death notifications on behalf of other townships who needed assistance making the notification, 7 fire calls including a double fatal fire, 1 juvenile counseling session in support of the School Resource Officer and 1 call out to support the school district students and staff on a school evacuation.

Police Chaplains also performed ceremonial duties at the township council reorganization meeting, banquets and opening ceremonies.

Police Chaplains worked extensively with School Resource Officer Misty Weiss diverting juvenile offenders from the Juvenile Justice System into our Stationhouse Adjustment Program (SHA’s), providing safe locations for community service and providing mentoring/counseling for at risk youth and their families. In 2019, 11 juveniles were diverted away from the Juvenile Justice System thanks to the Chaplains and the recidivism rate of the involved youth was almost non-existent. Additionally, Maple Shade has now joined 3 other towns in forming a Municipal Alliance in the County at the request of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Juvenile Probation, helping in part to funnel services and support to our families in the township.

Police Chaplains, Maple Shade PD and PBA Local #267 in partnership with our township businesses and community supporters organized the 4th Annual National Night Out Event in August 2019 which was a FREE, family fun event. It was an overwhelming success welcoming thousands to our Main Street area to celebrate the positive attributes that bring us together as a community. The Chaplains also doubled their efforts in holding a food drive in conjunction with the Police Benevolent Association (PBA Local #267) and the “Dunk A Cop” program, where all food donated and all money raised from the dunk tank was immediately used to help stock and supply our Maple Shade Food Bank at a time when the shelves are normally running low. Additionally, the Maple Shade Moose Lodge #2682 also generously donated $500 dollars netting the Food Bank almost $1,300.00 to help support their efforts. We are hard at work planning the fifth event for Tuesday August 4, 2020 (Rain Date: Wednesday August 5, 2020) and expect another tremendous experience for all! Stayed tuned for additional updates at a later time.

Police Chaplains have also worked hard in forming relationships with our first responders and their families. Understanding the challenges a career in public safety brings especially in today’s world, the Chaplains have mentored, counseled and simply listened when it was needed most. They integrated themselves into the operation of the police department to include our training components like active shooter and scenario based training. In addition, Chaplain Greg Ginion, who was certified as a Master Train the Trainer by the FBI National Academy in their Resiliency Program in June 2018, along with the Maple Shade Police Chaplain Corp and the Maple Shade Police Chaplain Association (a 501c(3) – NJ non-profit corporation) partnered with PBA Local #267 and Detective Brian Martino (also a certified FBI Resiliency Trainer) to host quarterly training sessions on Resiliency for our spouses, significant others and family members. This joint effort has been undertaken to ensure the entire family is supported and cared for helping to make certain that our officers can be their very best at work and at home!

In reference to the Burlington County Police Chaplain Association, Chaplain Greg Ginion continues to serve as a board member along with Chief of Police Chris Fletcher, who serves in a liaison role to the association on behalf of the Chaplain Liaison Police Officers in Burlington County. The Association continues to grow and expand in the county under the leadership of President Erik Jarvis and we look forward to what 2020 holds for the Association.

The Police Chaplains would like to sincerely thank all those who have worked so hard behind the scenes to make our program a success and it is our hope to continue to positively impact the lives of those living, working, shopping, traveling through and worshipping in Maple Shade.  A special thanks to our board who selflessly and tirelessly give of themselves to support our efforts in making our program such a success! The current MSPCA board consists of: President – Chaplain Vince McDonald, VP – Chief Chris Fletcher, Treasurer – Chaplain Mike Stinsman, Secretary – Chaplain Annemarie Cook, Board Member Ellen McDowell, Esq., Board Member Carol-Anne Peacock, Board Member Mark Tilghman and Board Member Nelson Wiest. 

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal requested that the Maple Shade Resiliency Team comprised of Chaplain Greg Ginion, Detective Brian Martino, Records Clerk Heather Capate, and Chief Christopher Fletcher present on their groundbreaking family resiliency pilot program.

This occurred on October 10th and 11th, 2019 at the Trenton War Memorial to over 1400 Police Officers, First Responders and Chaplains.

The resiliency team discussed the importance of bringing the FBI National Academy resiliency program to our spouses, significant others, and family members. This is in an effort to better prepare them for the challenges that a First Responder faces and the impact that it has on the entire family.

In a collaborative effort between the Maple Shade Police Chaplain Association, the Maple Shade Police Chaplain Corp., P.B.A. Local 267, and the Maple Shade Police Department, this pilot program was conceived and rolled out in early 2019 and has been met with tremendous approval and support from our families. The program will continue in its’ current state until mid-2020 when a new variation of this training will be unveiled.

Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 267 raised $780.00 in the popular Dunk-A-Cop tank at the 2019 National Night Out. These funds, along with a donation from the Maple Shade Moose Lodge of $500.00 were presented to the Maple Shade Food Bank to help stamp out hunger.

This generous cash contribution was combined with a record amount of donations of goods at the National Night Out event. It is another example of Shaders helping Shaders.

Please continue to donate all year long. For more information follow this link https://www.facebook.com/MapleShadeFoodBank/

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal has taken steps to protect the physical and emotional well-being of New Jersey law enforcement officers by ensuring that they are provided with the tools they need to cope with the unique stressors of their jobs. Addressing a rise in reported police suicides nationwide, Attorney General Grewal issued a law enforcement directive – known as the “Officer Resiliency Directive” – implementing the New Jersey Resiliency Program for Law Enforcement (“NJRP-LE’), a first-in-the-nation statewide program to train officers in resiliency and to become better equipped to handle the daily stress of police work that, when left unchecked, may lead to physical ailments, depression, and burnout. In so doing, New Jersey will become the first state in the country to require that all state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies designate a Resiliency Program Officer (RPO) who will be specifically trained in – and ultimately train their departments in – resiliency. The Maple Shade Police Department served as the pilot program for the State of New Jersey. Under the leadership of Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher J. Fletcher, and with assistance from his team including Detective Brian Martino and Chaplain Greg Ginion, law enforcement officers and command staff from Maple Shade are being trained in the New Jersey Resiliency Program for Law Enforcement. Family members of our law enforcement officers are also provided an opportunity to go through the same training. “My goal from the beginning with this training was to better equip officers to process and cope with the negative effects of trauma that they encounter on a daily basis. In Maple Shade specifically, my vision included caring for and training our family members and Chaplain Corp in an effort to strengthen and educate the support systems around us,” said Chief Christopher J. Fletcher. “I enthusiastically support the expansion of this program throughout the State of New Jersey and am grateful that officer wellness is taking such a priority for Attorney General Grewal and Director Allende. In the end, this program helps to reshape the lens that we use to look at the world around us with an improved attitude and thankful disposition and that is something which is certainly good for everyone involved.” For more information on the NJRP-LE program follow this link https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases19/pr20190806a.html