Local Pastor Named New Nassau County Police Chaplain

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter recently appointed Reverend Derek Garcia of East Meadow as a Nassau County Police Chaplain.

Chaplains serve in a variety of ways, some of which include assisting in death notifications, assisting to support victims in times of crisis, visiting sick or injured personnel, counseling members of the police department and their families and serving as a liaison with other clergy in the community. The position of a police chaplain can be demanding at times, as their services are requested at all hours of the night and under a variety of conditions.

“Reverend Derek Garcia is a great addition to the Nassau County Police Department,” said Mangano. “His dedication to the people of Nassau County is truly admirable and speaks volumes about his commitment to bettering the lives of everyone he comes across.”

Garcia grew up in a devout Christian household with parents who were founding pastors of El Tabernaculo de Gozo Church in East Meadow. He attended Great Neck North High School and also attended BOCES in Farmingdale for Aviation for two years where he followed his passion for flying up until his first few months in college. Following a trip to India, Garcia was inspired to take a different path and gave up flying to follow in his father’s footsteps.

After returning from college, he took over the youth ministry at El Tabernaculo de Gozo Church. He is now senior pastor of the church and, in 2006, he became a board member of the Long Island Hispanic Pastoral Association where he works closely with dozens of pastors in Nassau County, helping to support and grow their ministries as well.

Many people have enlisted Garcia’s help in the organizing and events and programs. In 2011, he was a major coordinator in a 15,000 person event in Freeport for the Hispanic community; and the Annual Noche Cristiana in Eisenhower Park, a summer evening of music for the Spanish-speaking community.

Reverend Garcia married his wife Stephanie in September of 2009 and was blessed with three beautiful children: Grace, Josiah and Obed.

Photo: Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, left, with new chaplain Reverend Derek Garcia, Reverend Salvatore Garcia (Rev. Derek Garcia’s Father) and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter. Courtesy Nassau County.