Innovation has always been the cornerstone of Chief of Police, Paul M. Patriarca’s Police Department in Princeton. “We’re always looking to improve the way we operate, both for the citizens of Princeton, and the members of our staff and officers as well,” he said. “That’s why establishing our new chaplain program was a natural. It fills a need.”
But how did it come about and what does it do? According Chief Patriaca, “The impetus for starting the program was my desire to ensure a high level of mental health care availability for our team. I worked with a group of health care clinicians in my previous employment with the City of Framingham Police Department. These clinicians, part of a program through Advocates called Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), provided healthcare professionals to assist residents experiencing a mental health crisis. Our call volume is low, so initiating a full-time mental health clinician to respond to calls with our officers did not seem fruitful. While our team has contact information and programs they can reach out to if they need to talk to someone, having the best of both worlds—immediate support and professional resources—would ultimately benefit the town of Princeton.”
Chief Patriarca noted that fire departments traditionally have chaplains, but law enforcement chaplains are uncommon in this area. So when he began thinking about implementing a program for the Princeton Police Department, he started keeping an eye out for the right people that would complement what he was looking for.
“After about a year of working on how to establish this program, and finding out the right people, we got lucky,” the Chief said. “First, I knew I wanted Paramedic
David Wiggins, who currently works for Princeton EMS and is the Fire Department Chaplain, he has assisted our public safety personnel during crises in the past. He is well-liked and respected by our team. More recently, Reverend Joelle Johns reached out, wanting to help. After meeting with her I knew I had found the perfect partnership for us.”
Rev. Joelle Johns is a Board-Certified Clinical Chaplain, Pastoral Thanatologist, Death Doula, and Psychospiritual Counselor specializing in grief and grieving care. She is also an Ordained Interfaith Minister and performs community outreach and pastoral care for the First Congregational Church of Princeton (an Open & Affirming community church). Currently, she serves as a hospice chaplain for Autumn Hospice and provides private one-on-one counseling.
She began her career as a psychiatric social worker, working in both inpatient facilities and community settings, including for the Department of Mental Health. Over the past several decades, she has worked in geriatric social work, elder guardianship, skilled nursing administration, and extensively with hospice and non-profit organizations, offering a wide range of resources to foster community mental health and well-being.
David Wiggins holds GRIN certification (Group and Individual Crisis Intervention) and suicide prevention training. He is recognized as part of the Massachusetts Fire Chaplain Association and established Worcester EMS’s peer support team, which he led for seven years. He has been involved in numerous debriefings and individual counseling sessions.
Chief Patriarca notes that, “The Princeton Police Chaplain Program integrates volunteer chaplains into the police culture, providing non-denominational mental, emotional, and spiritual support to officers, dispatchers, their families, and victims of crimes and tragedies. Chaplains offer consultation and referrals to appropriate resources when necessary.”
By policy, they are prohibited from promoting any specific religious doctrine but offer ecumenical support and counseling as needed. An effective chaplain meets police officers where they are, catering to the department’s expressed needs by offering a ministry of support and presence rather than doctrine or persuasion.
The program has just recently started but is already showing results. According to Chief Patriarca, “ Rev. Johns was asked by one of our officers to come to the station to assist with a young woman in crisis. Shortly after that, they responded to a resident in town who was also in crisis. Once the scene was deemed safe by the officer, Chaplain Johns stepped in and worked with the resident, helping them feel safe and connecting them with further professional assistance.”
The Chief says the department is looking forward to more such successful results in the future. “It all goes back to the basics,” he smiles, “ to serve and protect. That’s what we’re here for.”