[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or the first time in its history, the Kyle Police Department will offer a support system and in-house resource for officers and civilian staff to deal with job-related stress.
Those services are a part of Kyle Police Department’s new chaplain program, which is a resource used during a time of crisis, Police Chief Jeff Barnett said.
Other local police agencies have similar programs and Barnett said they are successful in helping officers better handle some situations they encounter.
Pastor Marquet Curl, who started the ROCK (Reflections of Christ’s Kingdom) church in Kyle in 2014, is the lead pastor and founder of the chaplain program.
“With his background and history, we believe Pastor Curl is just what KPD needs at this time,” Barnett said.
The program will help officers deal with any stress, whether it’s work-related, crisis-related or personal, Curl said.
“In the past, other agencies have loaned us a chaplain for a particular event or crisis, but we never really built a relationship with any one person,” Captain Pedro Hernandez said.
Having a resource and someone to speak with can help officers and staff deal with any professional and personal issues, Curl said.
The number one priority is implementing a program that fits the KPD as it grows, Curl said.
More chaplains will be recruited and Curl said he hopes to have four other chaplains in the program by the end of the year.
“Besides the implementation, the most important thing is building relationships,” Curl said. “That’s what the program will be about.”
Curl has met with all police officers and staff to talk about the program and has also received feedback.
“I wanted it to be their program ... Everyone has been very excited about it and looking forward to having a program that’s there to meet their emotional, mental and spiritual needs.” Pastor Marquet Curl, Kyle Police Chaplain
Curl approached the Kyle Police about creating the program after he moved to the city in May 2016.
“I had a burning desire and passion to make an impact on my community,” Curl said. “I wanted to try to be able to be a voice of change - not just from within the community but also on the officer’s side because a lot of people don’t understand the stress that’s involved with being a police officer.”
Curl spoke to Barnett and Hernandez and worked to get the program off the ground.
“We’ve been working on it for several months and it’s great to see it come to fruition,” Barnett said.
