Police Inspector Marie Reavey, national lead for Faith and Police Together, shares some pointers for how we can be praying during the Covid-19 crisis, and encourages churches to take up opportunities to work together with their local police…
I really do believe that post-lockdown, as we adjust, faith communities and the police working together can be a key part of the ‘new normal’. Here in Norfolk we now have a dedicated police officer tasked with engaging with all faith communities, and he has begun compiling a comprehensive contact list and building some good relationships with churches. He has been impressed and surprised by the amount of great work that the churches are doing, and there is a real desire from our Citizens in Policing Team to ensure that the contacts they are making are not lost, with a desire to partner with churches and faith groups post-Covid.
The Faith Communities Guide to Engaging with Police is full of ideas, project and case studies to help churches engage better with your police, or get more involved in tackling addiction, youth violence, loneliness, homelessness and more.
You can also learn more about how churches can work with and support their local police in the Spring Harvest Home video, ‘How Churches and the Police Can Work Together’.
A few prayer pointers for this time. Please pray for:
- Those suffering with mental health problems, particularly self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
- Households where domestic violence and abuse is prevalent. Safety and protection for victims and perpetrators to stop and for justice to be done.
- Safety for children at risk of abuse, violence and neglect.
- There has been an increase in fraud types of crime – pray for those that would exploit the vulnerable and Covid-19 to be brought to justice and for the vulnerable and victims to be not fall prey to their schemes. Pray that criminals wanting to exploit these times would be stopped and their plans would be thwarted.
- Protection and wisdom for frontline officers and staff having to deal with the public (protection from those using Covid-19 as a weapon against them i.e. spitting and coughing at them)
- For relationships to be forged between the Police and churches at this time to form strong foundations to move Faith and Police Together forward, post lockdown.
- For those working in mortuaries and for funeral directors to have all they need to cope with the demand and to be able to ensure families and relatives are able to say goodbye to their loved ones in as timely a fashion as possible
- The end of the lockdown process to be smooth, effective and efficient.
To download the Faith Communities Guide to Engaging with Police guide and find out more, visit www.faithandpolicetogether.org.uk
Police Inspector Marie Reavey serves in the Norfolk Constabulary, and chairs the Christian Police Association (CPA). She is also national lead for Faith and Police Together.
The Christian Police Association (CPA) is one of CTE’s Bodies in Association. To connect with your local Christian Police, visit www.cpauk.net and become a friend of CPA.