Danny Lynchard's Kevo

Times Hectic for Police Chaplains

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=186169

By Tim Barker / Tulsa World
12/30/1990

Tulsa's homicide detectives have been busy this year. So
have the police chaplains.
The year's soaring homicide rate and a new policy have made
life a little more hectic for the volunteer clergy.

Describing the chaplaincy corps as "spiritual and emotional
paramedics," director Danny Lynchard sees the members as
ambassadors and diplomats between the police and the public
in times of crisis.

"Most people don't deal with the police," Lynchard said.
"Then all of the sudden, they are faced with dealing with
this mysterious department."

By being on the inside of the department, the chaplains
have an understanding of police motives and actions. As
civilians, "we understand the fears and the hurts they
(the public) are facing," said Lynchard, the pastor at
Interfaith Christian Center in Glenpool.
He has directed the 12-member Tulsa Police and Fire Chaplaincy
Corps since 1987.

In February, a new policy made it mandatory for police officers
to call a chaplain in any of four situations: where a death
was unexpected, when a shooting involves an officer, in
disasters and in hostage situations.

When the corps was started in the late 1970s, there was
speculation by some officers that the chaplains would try
to bring their religious beliefs to crime scenes, Lynchard
said. Those concerns faded as the officers realized the
chaplains were not preaching their faiths, he said.

"You can't do that. Your job is to bring their faith to
the surface, not give them yours," Lynchard said.
Indicative of the chaplains' position in the police department
are the walls of Lynchard's office, adjacent to the detective
division.

There are no religious symbols or overt signs of religion
other than a couple of plaques containing spiritual messages.
There is a Tulsa Police Department organizational chart,
illustrating chain of command. Penciled in above Chief Drew
Diamond is God, followed by Chaplain.

"I showed it to the chief," Lynchard said. "He thought
is was pretty funny."

Officers have grown to appreciate one of the chaplains primary
duties: death notifications.

North Tulsa chaplain Willie Lewis said the most difficult
thing is telling a family about the death of a loved one
"who died moments after seeing the family; to see the look
of disbelief on their faces, as if you're playing a joke
on them."

Reactions to a death notifications vary widely, Lewis said.
He has seen people faint and others who "found it necessary
to vent their frustrations and grief physically."
Wade Burleson, a south Tulsa chaplain, said he is always
able to help people who are either hurting or in a crisis.

"I don't want to say it's fun, that's not the right word.
It's satisfying and I really enjoy it," he said.

The chaplains average about 10 hours of work each week,
but they are on call 24 hours a day. "There are no sacred
moments," said Lewis. "I've been paged just as I'm entering
the pulpit to deliver a sermon."

After arriving at a scene, the chaplain checks in with the
officers and then starts work on comforting the family.

"In consoling them, we also have to get them away from
the scene so the officers can do their jobs," Lewis said.
The chaplain attempts to gather a group of family and friends
to console and support the victim's family.

Contact between chaplain and family is maintained two to
three weeks after the incident. After that time, if someone
still needs help, they are referred to various civic support
groups, Lynchard said.

"If their support group (family and friends) is strong
enough, you know in the first 24 hours that they don't need
you anymore."

If the family cannot see the victim, Lynchard said the chaplain
should see the body. "They (the family) want to know what
the person was wearing, where he was shot, how many times,
and what he was shot with."

Lewis said initially he was disturbed by family members'
desires for details about the deaths.

"I thought it was kind of gruesome: the kind of questions
they asked. Until you realize that you had last shred of
contact with the deceased," Lewis said.

That contact creates a kind of kindred spirit which almost
make the chaplain a part of the family, Lewis said.
While Lynchard considers the chaplain's task to be one of
the most rewarding he has ever had, there are drawbacks.

After eight years, Lynchard said he is disturbed by an inability to remember the names of the survivors he has helped.
"It's not the crime scenes. You get used to that: the burned
bodies and decapitations.

"What bothers me the most is that I can't remember all
the names," he said.