JAMES CITY COUNTY — Rev. Randy Garner signed up for the James City County Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy on a whim 25 years ago and knew immediately how he could serve.
“The bottom line is I’ve always had a desire to serve and to help others and to represent the Lord,” Garner said.
Chaplain Garner began serving with James City County Police in the spring of 2000 as the department’s first volunteer chaplain. In his capacity as chaplain, he responded to incidents, met with families going through crisis, presided over marriages and funerals, counseled officers and much more in his capacity as chaplain.
“We are really there to come alongside our officers and bring peace and harmony to them that there is somebody there that they can turn to and trust,” Garner explained.
In addition to his work with the police department, Garner also served for many years as the chaplain for the James City County Fire Department.
After earning the trust of the officers and police leadership, he earned the nickname Chappy.
“The Lord gifted me with a personality that has some humor and some other things that has given me some people skills that has not been threatening but has allowed me to cross bridges. In the police department, you really have to earn the right, I believe, to speak into their lives. All I would do was just listen to the officers about their families and their careers. After awhile, word spread through the department that you could trust Chappy,” Garner said.
A member of the early crisis negotiations team, Chaplain Garner supported critical incident debriefings for first responders. During his tenure, he never turned down an opportunity to serve, including as the star pitcher for the department’s softball team. He was recently honored with the James City County Police Department’s Distinguished Service Medal for his years of faithful commitment to the emotional and spiritual well-being of JCCPD officers, staff and community members.
During his 25-year career, Garner was a volunteer and earned no salary for his service. He retired in September and was recently celebrated at a luncheon hosted by the department.
“I cried like a baby. I tend to get really emotional at those kinds of things. It’s a very humbling experience to hear people speak about you so highly at something like that,” Garner said.
While Garner will soon move from the Williamsburg area, he is filled with countless memories of his time with James City County Police and hopes he helped just one officer.
“Just being allowed to be a part of somebody’s life and help them many times through difficulties, knowing that I have represented my calling to the best of my ability, to represent the Lord. Those officers know walking in that is who I am and I’m honored to have served.”