A Christian policing group which believes that prayer can catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Home Office to widen its involvement with local church groups.
The Christian Police Association (CPA) wants members of the public to "adopt a cop" by praying for the safety of local officers as they ply their beats. The organisation which boasts 2,000 members, claims that there is "circumstantial evidence" to suggest that regular prayer can help reduce crime rates and encourage criminals to make a new start to their lives.
They are launching a new initiative called "CoAct", which is partly funded by a £10,000 Home Office grant, to improve links between local church groups and police officers and encourage congregations to act as "peacemakers" in areas where gang violence and antisocial behaviour is high. Don Axcell, a retired Metropolitan Police sergeant who heads the CPA, said "We want people to pray for the police, and to fully interact with the service." Mr Axcell said that domestic burglary had came down by 30 per cent in an area that was regularly covered in prayer."
Les Isaacs, the founder of the influential Street Pastors movement, which patrols more than 70 cities across the country helping drunken revellers and diffusing gang tensions, says church groups already play a strong role in tackling antisocial behaviour. "The approach has to be both pragmatic and spiritual," he said. "Prayer makes a tangible difference, we see it every day. If you pray for the well-being of the community around you will see people physically become less aggressive."
Matt Baggott, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and president of the Christian Police Association, said CoAct would be a "great way of giving police officers the support, care and encouragement that they need and value". A Home Office spokesman added: "We have given the Christian Police Association a one-off grant of £10,000 to support its ongoing work to improve community safety, tackle antisocial behaviour and reduce violence."
Source: UK Independent via Australian Prayer Network
