Boulder Police Department
On a typical Sunday, in my typical pew I felt the prompting of God; “invite me in”.
At the time, I was a newly promoted sergeant with 18 years with the Boulder Police Department. I had felt the calling to serve the fine men and women of the BPD, and to support/encourage them on the daily journey of being in the policing business. The idea of exploring a Chaplaincy within the walls of our department made sense when it came to another way to accomplish that. However, I wasn’t sure it made sense given the often challenging political environment we experience in Boulder. I was challenged and reminded that God is bigger than any political climate and he is sovereign over all.
Through a few simple conversations, I was directed to contact Rocky Mountain Police Chaplains (RMPC) as they have had experience helping dozens of agencies throughout the region to implement chaplain programs. Little did I know that several years before this prompting for me, RMPC had already received their own prompting to begin this important work. They had the knowledge, the experience, and the confidence to guide our steps as we began the process of creating BPD’s very first Chaplaincy.
God was invited in. The timing of that invitation was the very end of 2019, and the very beginning of 2020. As members of RMPC and I met in our designated café for multiple times of discussion, goal-setting, and prayer…we had no idea what 2020 was going to bring. We had no idea that God had already tapped the shoulders of 5 amazing pastors/leaders in Boulder County. Those 5 servant hearts also had no idea what 2020 would bring, but they were willing to follow God’s lead. Throughout one of the darkest and most difficult years of most of our lives, our 5 BPD Chaplains have blessed, served, and encouraged us. They have brought light into a dark place. They have provided HOPE and LOVE. They have quickly earned the respect of the officers, they have established trust with the department command staff, and they have successfully navigated their first year of chaplaincy…even with all the curve balls 2020 has thrown.
God’s timing is always perfect. What started as a prompting on that typical Sunday, turned into one of the few bright spots for our department in a very ATYPICAL year.
Thank you to Chaplains Brian, Ashley, Paul, Steve, and Tyler. Thank you to RMPC. Thank you to the leadership at BPD who were open to this idea. And to God be the glory for all.
Sergeant Jeremy Frenzen
Boulder Police Department
Boulder PD Chaplain
As a former law enforcement officer in Southern California, I know first hand the pressures that weigh on the backs of the fine men and women who wear the badge. There are the obvious dangers, legal threats, PTSD, and difficult shift work to be sure, but officers carry the same pressures as everyday citizens as well.
Our new Chaplaincy Program at the Boulder Police Department is designed to meet the needs and everyday demands on police officers and their families. We are not present to solve problems or offer solutions per-say, but to merely act as a sounding board for the employees of the department. Our goal is for each of them to always know they are not alone.
In addition to the normal uphill climb every chaplaincy program faces, ours started in the infant stages of CoVid-19, as the first chaplain program in department history, and during civil and racial unrest like our country had not seen in quite some time. To say we were thrown into the deep end quickly would be an understatement.
However, as is evident throughout scripture, God was preparing the way! Our incredible Chaplain Team (including Ashley and K-9 Winston, Paul, Steve, and Tyler) has engaged in hundreds of conversations, ride-alongs, training days, car washes, coffees, lunches, text threads, and table top conversations. There have been moments of awkward quiet, only to be followed by wrenching truths poured out from the depths of a hurting heart.
Every time one of our chaplains visit with officers, we make ourselves available in any way possible. Some matters are family related, others spiritual, and some are just social. The program is a great tool to assist officers in unloading their stress, heartache, frustration, and exhaustion.
A new component for me and my role is the training I am receiving from Cathy Kowalski and Faithfully K-9. I have a four year-old Lab, “Cash”, who is in the throws of Therapy Dog boot camp. The goal is to be certified and for the two of us to work as a team to provide additional care for the police officers. There’s comfort and distraction, both a tremendous gift to officers, found in the smiling face of a dog who loves to be loved. Cash will join me every time I visit with officers at the department and will utilize his new found tricks as we say “thank you for all that you do.” When words are not enough, the soft, wet nose of a furry friend transcends understanding.
From a city historically known to be far from God, let me announce loud and clear, God is on the move and He is shattering pre-concieved beliefs regarding His son, Jesus Christ. Hope wins. Love conquers. Peace is found. To Him be the glory.
Brian Hays
Lead Pastor – Rock Creek Church
Chaplain - Boulder Police Department