107°F
weather icon Clear

Police put faith into revived chaplain program

The Boulder City Police Department has resurrected its chaplain program that helps officers, victims and families.

Police Chief Tim Shea said the program has been around for years but had fallen into disrepair and now was a good time to reinstate it with the stress faced by the officers and community members.

Last week, he swore in senior chaplains Michael Thrower and Ryan Michael Creelman to the program. They will assist officers in dealing with victims of trauma or major life events when faith-based assistance is requested.

“It serves both our public as well as officers,” Shea said. “The level of stress our officers encounter is immense. This program gives them someone who can help victims and their family members, as well as the officers who respond to incidents.”

Thrower said his work as a chaplain is a calling, and he wants to add value to the Boulder City Police Department by being someone officers can meet and decompress with confidentially and without judgment.

“In talking with Chief Shea, I saw that there was a need … I just enjoy working with police officers,” he said.

In addition to working with Boulder City, Thrower serves as lead chaplain for the Clark County School District and works with Community Connect and Adopt-A-Cop Nevada.

Creelman is the spiritual director and corporate chaplain for Westcare Foundation and the spiritual director for Veterans Village.

“The chaplains will be available upon request and on an as-needed basis,” Shea said. “They are already well-trained in trauma response, as they’ve worked in their roles for several years now.

The chaplains are volunteers so this program does not cost the city anything.

At the swearing-in ceremony July 11, Shea also swore in Ruby Perkins as the new police support services manager. She was promoted to that position from her previous one of BCPD communications and records supervisor. Additionally, Lauren Christian was sworn in as a full-time emergency dispatcher. She used to work as a part-time dispatcher.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Council confusion: The leash law saga continues

Three statements — notably, none of them from members of the city council — best illustrated the difficulties residents (both dog-loving and not) have had for at least four years when it comes to the issue of off-leash dogs in public parks.

Breeding in BC? Probably not

Unlike the discussion later in the meeting Tuesday night in which the city council appeared determined to make sure no one was angry at them about the issue of off-leash dogs, they directed staff to take very strong action on the issue of pet breeding.

Lifejacket donations aim to save lives

Greg Bell’s memory lives on by way of a generous donation that may saves lives.

Huge crowd turns out to honor Patton

It was brought up during Saturday’s unveiling of the Shane Patton Memorial Monument as to why Shane’s statue stands 11 feet tall.

Disaster in China affects Damboree fireworks show

As the city prepares for Damboree, one of our biggest celebrations of the year, a tragedy in China is having an impact on the annual fireworks show.

City Celebrates First Responders

Photos courtesy City of Boulder City

Toll Brothers gets split decision

The development of the area near Boulder Creek Golf Course known as Tract 350 (the sale of which is slated to pay for the majority of the planned replacement for the aging municipal pool) may have hit a snag last week as the planning commission voted 5-1 to deny the developers’ request to build houses closer to the street than is allowed under current law.