Priests Riding Shotgun With Worcester Police

WORCESTER (CBS) - Friday night late and Officer Michael Foley is patrolling the Northeast sector of Worcester, but he's not alone. His partner on this night is Reverend Jose Encarnacion, with his collar on and a bullet proof vest.

Rev. Encarnacion is one of more than a dozen local clergy that have signed on to train with police, and then ride along with them in an effort to reduce crime.

"I hear some of the young people say, 'Pastor why are you hanging out with the cops?' And I say, 'they are in the public safety and so are we and we want the peace in our community'," Encarnacion told WBZ-TV's Jonathan Elias.

The Reverend, who patrols an area close to his sanctuary, sees some familiar faces on this night. They offer excuses about why they are out so late, or why they are hanging out in areas known for drug trafficking.

"You don't see this on Sunday, or maybe it's there on Sunday in Sunday's best and covered up" the Reverend points out.

As for officer Foley, he sees this partnership as a valuable tool to help break down barriers.

"You're always the bad guy; you're always the boogieman," Foley said. "So with this type of program you're interacting in a positive light."

This program has been running for a couple of years in Worcester, and so far so good according to the police. Fort Worth, Texas was the first to pair priests with police, because of a problem with gang violence. The partnerships led to a drop crime, and other departments across the country followed suit.

Officer Foley admits he was skeptical of the program at first, but says he's warmed up to it because of how effective it is. "Police departments and religious groups are working together to try and solve some of the problems; it gets people thinking."