Maple Shade Police Chaplain Activity Summary 2018
The Maple Shade Police Chaplains responded to 24 activations for this calendar year. Those activations included: 13 deceased persons where a loved one or family member(s) needed comforting, 3 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, 1 fatal motor vehicle crash to comfort involved persons, 2 fire calls in the township where victims were distraught over the loss of their property, 1 suicide where family members needed comfort and support at the tragic loss of life and 1 squad call for a seriously ill patient whose family needed the support of the Chaplains.
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 2018, 18 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 businesses and community supporters organized the 3rd Annual National Night Out Event in August 2018 which was a FREE, family fun event. It was an overwhelming success welcoming all 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 matched the funds raised by the PBA and netted the Food Bank $900 to help support their efforts. We are hard at work planning the fourth event for Tuesday August 6, 2019 (Rain Date: Wednesday August 7, 2019) 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 was certified as a Master Train the Trainer by the FBI National Academy in their Resiliency Program in June 2018 and the agency has been selected as the pilot program for the State of New Jersey starting in 2019. Additionally, it is also the Chaplains goal of caring for the spouses and significant others of our officers and they plan to partner with PBA Local #267 and the MSPCA to host quarterly training sessions on Resiliency 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 Captain 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 2019 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 – Captain Chris Fletcher, Treasurer – Chaplain Mike Stinsman, Secretary – Chaplain Annemarie Cook, Board Member Ellen McDowell, Board Member Carol-Anne Peacock, Board Member Mark Tilghman and Board Member Nelson Wiest.
