Oakboro Police Chief T.J. Smith introduced the new chaplain for the police department to the town council at Monday’s meeting.

Jonathan Waits has been the lead pastor for First Baptist Church in Oakboro since 2017. Previously, he was the pastor at Central Baptist Church in Church Road, Virginia. Waits went to seminary school in Denver, Colorado.

Smith said Waits recently completed the classes necessary to serve the department as chaplain from First Responders First, a local organization which first started providing chaplains to the NASCAR community. The chief said Waits will have a bulletproof vest and shirt from First, along with liability insurance.

“(Waits) has been spending a lot of time with the guys riding with them…being an open ear for them a lot of times,” Smith said.

Waits said he was glad for the chance to help the police department, adding they “are good guys.”