December 17, 2003
Moultrie - Working in law enforcement can be dangerous, but a south Georgia police department has their very own guardian angel. The angel stays with the men and women in uniform from the time they start a shift until they clock out.
He dresses like a SWAT team member, but his weapon of choice is not a gun, it's a smile and a Bible. Chaplain Dave Underwood says, "Just to be available if there's a need."
Underwood is more than a chaplain for the Moultrie Police Department, he's their guardian angel. Sgt. Roger Lindsay says, "He's there with us, he's there for us."
Every Monday morning, the police chaplain has a devotional service with the criminal investigation unit. Lindsay adds, "Somebody we can talk to when we have nobody else to talk to."
Underwood prays with officers between shifts to give them confidence out in the field. He jumps in the police car and says, "Ready to go, all right lets do it."
He also brings blessings and companionship on the road. Underwood explains, "We talk about anything under the sun."
They talk about life and sometimes about religion. He says, "I don't pray on the road unless the officer would ask me to."
Underwood is comfortable around a badge because his dad was a police officer. The chaplain smiles, "It's a call, I believe, and something I can't get away from."
His angel wings are undercover and Underwood is also a full-time Pastor at Friendship Alliance Church.
Church members go a step further. Each Moultrie Police Officer has a prayer partner assigned to them, just in case they need someone to lean on.
posted at 5:45PM by kathryn.simmons@walb.com
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