Community: Kalamazoo Department Public Safety
Population: 10,000+
Pastors on Patrol was started because I wanted to included our faith-based community in changing the culture of our neighborhoods. So often there is tension between LE and the community we serve, many times when officers arrive on the scene of an incident it is continuous out the gate. Pastors on Patrol has changed the narrative with our community, Officers are able to mitigate situations faster with pastors on their side. Pastors have a flock they serve and often the flock is who we as LE come in contact with in our community. Our officers look forward to the pastors riding with them on a daily basis. Officers without pastors often call the pastors to their scenes to help with the situation. Pastors on Patrol is intended to bridge the gap between LE and our community. Kalamazoo Public Safety uses President Obama’s 21st century on policing as a model to build long sustaining relationships with the community we serve. A strong community makes a strong Kalamazoo. We are changing lives one contact at a time.
Replicability:
I have develop a policy for our Pastors on Patrol, this is easy to replicate in any community by joining your local faith base groups and partnering together to build a better community. Our Pastors are clearly identifiable with uniforms and monthly trainings.
Creativity and Originality:
Street Pastors isn’t a new concept, in the UK Pastors Les Issac started the ideal of street pastors going out in the community and pastoring in any way. His concept the pastors are independent of LE but worked with the LE to neighborhood issues. My concept is to team the two up, LE and Pastors in one cruiser to respond to a crisis in our community to solve problems, issues, crisis interventions or to just pray for an individual. We serve a diverse community that sometimes need a helping hand in the faith base lane to make through the day. Serving a community making a difference one contact at a time.
Community Impact:
The impact Pastors on Patrol is unmeasurable not only in our community but internally too. Everyday our officers are expected to build relationships with our community. For instances, foot patrols are easily done with an pastor and the conversations begin. When we talk with each other we build trust, it is when we do not talk to each other we tend to have mistrust. Community members have begun to request pastors on the scene when one isn’t present, pastors are also ready to assist people with community resources. Often times family disputes come from lack of resources for family needs. Pastors on Patrol has been trained to provide direction for individuals in need of resources in our community. Internally officers have the ability to talk with our department chaplain, but sometimes it’s a little easier to talk with a pastor in your own office. The police cruiser is the officers office and some officers enjoy talking about life’s issues with our pastors in a quite personal setting. We currently have six pastors and are seeking to increase the number as we recruit from our local body of faith base pastors.
