The Manchester Township Police are pleased to welcome Pastor Robert Clark as the Department’s second Police Chaplain, expanding an important program in which highly trained clergy assist officers and the community during times of need.
Pastor Clark joins Rev. James Davis, who has served as the Manchester Township Police Chaplain since November of 2011, in this important volunteer role. The duties of the Police Chaplain include helping officers make death notifications, assisting with critical incident response, and mitigating the stress families deal with during difficult times. Police Chaplains may also provide services for ceremonies, funerals or any other special event.
“The role of the Police Chaplain is critical to our officers and our residents, as they are often called upon to handle sensitive and difficult tasks. I’m proud that Pastor Clark has joined us to offer his experience, training and expertise to our community,” said Chief Lisa Parker.
Pastor Clark currently serves at the Building on the Rock Church located on Beckerville Road and is an instructor for Lincoln Tech at the Fort Dix Prison. He is a certified Disaster Response Crisis Counselor (Department of Homeland Security) who studied Christian Ministry at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia and received his Bible Certification from Crown College in Minnesota. Pastor Clark, who also previously served the United Way of Ocean County, came highly recommended to join the Manchester Police Chaplaincy and passed a thorough background check before his appointment in September.
“The Police Department is so much more than just providing protection, it’s also serving,” said Pastor Clark. “For me, the position of Police Chaplain is about doing whatever I can to help the officers perform their duties and ensure that their emotional well-being is cared for. Being a police officer is an admirable calling, so I really feel the call to help out the department as much as I can.”
Police Chaplains are respectful of the fact that they interact with community members of many different faiths. Although they are faith-based individuals, Police Chaplains subscribe to no denomination when providing counseling and other services. As such, they are a crucial asset for law enforcement during critical incidents, as they bring comfort, assistance and resources to any officer and/or resident regardless of their faith. Residents can rest assured that communications with Police Chaplains remain confidential, except when it pertains to the endangerment of persons, any criminal acts and/or suicide.
“I’m really looking forward to working alongside with the Manchester Township Police Department to form a bond of trust with both the officers and the community,” said Pastor Clark.