Chief Reports to a
Higher Authority
As a police chief, John Schaefer loves to catch the bad guys.
But the top cop in the affluent city of San Marino, near
Pasadena, has another passion: changing lives.
Schaefer, 57, is in the rare position to do just that. He’s one
of the only police chiefs in California – perhaps the only
one -- who also serves as a chaplain for incarcerated youth,
in Schaefer’s case for Orange County Probation.
Cyndee Thomas, 62, senior chaplain at the Redding Police
Department and president of the International Conference
of Police Chaplains, isn’t aware of another police chief in
the state who also has the job of providing emotional and
spiritual support to their own sworn officers and non-sworn
employees and their families, or to youth.
About half the state’s police agencies have chaplains,
Thomas says. Most are volunteers and very few are sworn
officers.
For Schaefer – who also serves as police chief of San Marino
– the double-duty is no big deal.
“I’m a guy who likes to be busy,” the police chief said.
“I’ve never thought of police work as a job, but rather my
ministry, my life calling.”
Schaefer, 57, spent more than 32 years in law enforcement
in Orange County -- at police departments in Cypress, Seal
Beach and Placentia -- before becoming San Marino’s police
chief in October 2007.
For years, the Fullerton resident has been involved in
ministering to youth at Orange County Juvenile Hall as a
Protestant chaplain. While not San Marino’s official police
chaplain, Schaefer considers himself a ?6?&W7??6?&?Rf? ?&?f?F??r7?&?GV?7W?'BF?F?R#??ff?6W'2?bF?R6???&?????6RFW'F?V?B?v?F???????V?r?ffV?FW'2V?BW&WGW&???rF?7W7F?G???66?VfW"6?2???2?76????F?&?Vv?&?&?R7GVG?B??2??&?&F???6?6??VBF?R??WF??VFW'6??6FV????2F?6??vRF?R?V'G2?B??G2?bF?R??V?r?V??P?6?W?W&G2??F?R??WF??VFW'6??6FV?&?f?FW2?FW&?F?fW2F??v?w2?G'Vw2?B?F?W"6W&??W2&?&?V?2f6??rF?R??V?p??V????&?vR6?V?G?v??f??BF?V?6V?fW2??F?Rw&??p?6?FR?bF?R?r??( ?b?6???RF?ffW&V?6R??F?R?fR?b??R??B?( ?66?VfW ?6?B?( ?N( ?2v?'F??B?( ?v?F???6RvV?6?W2vVF?W&??r7WF&6?2?F?R?FV?F??f? ?7G&W72????&VG?7G&W76gV?&?fW76????2&?6V??F???0?6?B( 2????r?BWfV???&R7'V6??f?"?rV?f?&6V?V?@?vV?6?W2F?6??F??VR&?f?F??r6????6W'f?6W2??F?Rv??B?Ww2?2F?B&V6W6R??7B6????2&P?f??V?FVW'2???7B??6RvV?6?W26?ff?&BF?V???( ???&R?B??&R??6RFW'F?V?G2&R??????r@?6????22?6?F?fR&W6?W&6R?( ?F???26?B??6????2??7F?6W'fR2v????rV"f?"?ff?6W'2v????VVBF?fV?B&?WBF?V?"7G&W76gV???'2?F???26?B?F?W??66?????ff?6W'2??&?FR????w2?B?6??VWB??R????P?v?F?F?V???ffW&??r7?&?GV?wV?F?6R??6????2???F?R??6RFW'F?V?B?"?????2?&?f?FR?6&??rV"F????7FW"F?&?F?F?R7?&?GV??BV??F??????VVG2?bF?RV??RF?W?6W'fR?v???R??F?f?GV?6????0???6????"?FV?F?g?v?F?'F?7V?"FV????F?????"????6????66?VfW"6?B?F?W???7G&?fRF?6W'fR?@????7FW"F??V??Bv??V?v???fR?VVBF?BF???g&WVV?F?vWG2?fW&????VB?(
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