Police chaplains gather for a regional conference in Texarkana

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BRANSON MO NEWS: Police chaplains from six states are in Texarkana this week for an International Conference of Police Chaplains.Organizers say the training will help them better serve their departments and communities.

More than 200 people are registered for the conference from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas.The training includes seminars on church safety, stress management and disaster response.”The chaplains can learn what law enforcement does some of the tools they use,” explained Bart Leger, ICPC Region 7 Director.Since 2016, Texarkana Texas Police Department Lieutenant Shawn Fitzgerald has been working with local TTPD Chaplain Tommy Gaither, also the Pastor of Walnut Church of Christ, who is a member of the group, to bring this conference to Texarkana. In 2017, Jennifer Montoya, Director of Convention Services for the Convention Center travelled to Branson, Missouri to bid on the conference and earn the business for the 2018 event. Together, this group of community leaders have lined up an impressive panel of speakers, trainings, and demonstrations for conference attendees, including local speaker Bobby Ables, who will be the featured speaker at the 2018 ICPC banquet.Montoya is excited to host the group in Texarkana, Texas.

“These folks have been so great to work with,” Montoya said. “Anytime we can bring visitors to Texarkana, offer them top-notch service, and boost our local economy, we consider that a win.”Excluding the conference’s banquet on Thursday night, most meals will be off-site, meaning local restaurants stand to gain business from visitors to our community. Restaurants, such as the Golden Chick on Richmond Road, On the Border, U.S. Pizza Company and the Silver Star Smokehouse, donated coupons and gift cards for participants to enjoy.The International Conference of Police Chaplains was founded in 1973.