MILAN, NEW MEXICO – The Milan Police Department announced several weeks ago that it was going to emphasize the importance of mental health, not only for its officers but the greater public. Working with the village government, Chief Carl Ustupski created a new chaplain position in the de-partment that will help ensure this mission. Chief Ustupski has significant experience in law enforcement, having worked in different police stations across the country he was able to bring many different ideas to the Village of Milan, and is now pushing efforts to not only care for his officer’s mental health, but the greater Milan community. Pastor Dale Thatcher of the Grace Baptist Church, located at 717 Victor Avenue in Milan, N.M., is the Milan Police Department’s chaplain. Pastor Thatcher offers services to MPD personnel and residents, not unlike a counselor. Pastor Thatcher will listen and help people, but it does not always have to be in a religious manner. For those just looking for someone to talk to, Thatcher is not afraid to put away his religious hat and just listen.
What services are provided by the pastor?
Pastor Thatcher will help not only the staff and law enforcement officers at the Milan Police Department, but his services will be available to all residents in the village and across Cibola.
Thatcher can provide prayer services and add a touch of religion, but if a person is just looking for counseling and guidance, he is more than willing to leave the religious aspect out of the conversation. Chief Ustupski mentioned that people going through mental health crisis, or on the verge of committing suicide, are the most in need of assistance. Suicide, or threats of suicide, is not a crime in New Mexico, and Chief Ustupski noted that his department is not necessarily equipped to assist with those in mental health crisis. By bringing in Pastor Thatcher, a new layer of community safety is brough to the village.
“A lot depends upon what the chief wants from my office. So, chief’s desire for his agency, his plan for the program, wants the chaplain to ride with his officers and get acquainted with them. What chief and I have seen over the years is that these young men see a little bit of everything, and sometimes it’s difficult or gruesome. If they don’t talk about it, they can end up struggling with it later.”
If officers need any kind of assistance, like delivering death notices or, “if any of our folks here in police department are having some problems and need some counseling, guidance or are in need of help, I’m there.” He continued “Any family in the community, really, that goes through trouble or difficulty, you know, we’re here for them and can offer prayers, try to help them.”
Pastor Thatcher has served the Cibola community for a long time, he worked as chaplain with the Grants Fire and Rescue, he’s assisted with the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office. He said that his mission is not just spiritual guidance, but to help across the board.
Working with first responders After every law enforcement operation, Pastor thatcher will be involved in the operation debriefing, where he will give police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical service personnel the opportunity to discuss what they’ve seen and how they’re doing. “It’s not always easy to talk about what we’ve seen,” Chief Ustupski said, explaining that a lot of first responders put the horrors that they’ve seen behind them, or cover them up. “I want to make sure that they don’t take any of that anger, or sadness, or whatever it is back home with them.” Pastor Thatcher explained that working with first responders is a blessing, and that he will do whatever it takes to support the first responders of Milan, and Cibola County, New Mexico.
Who is Pastor Thatcher? “I love living in a small town, I’m a country boy; I’m not a big town guy, you know? Being here this long in the area, we know a lot of people, and its just nice to reach out and help.” Pastor Thatcher has supported the Cibola community with chaplain services since 2008, and in his experience, the service, “goes back to giving them the opportunity, if they choose, to talk to someone about what they see. Maybe in a fire they saw a life or two lost, or, one of the biggest things we have to deal with is the loss of a child, especially in the first responder community.”
He said that in the time he’s offered his services, he’s heard a lot of harrowing stories. In order to keep his mind clear, Pastor thatcher puts his trust in God. “It’s with the Lord.”
Uplifting the community Chief Ustupski wants to ensure that no person, not the chaplain, any of his officers, or anyone in the community feels alone. No person, he declared, should have to fight alone. The Milan Police Department has been working for months to bring mental health support to the Village of Milan, and because of this partnership between MPD and can now support those in the most amount of need.
This is an effort by Chief Ustupski and MPD to uplift the Village of Milan and support the community.