International Conference of Police Chaplains

"Serving all law enforcement chaplains since 1973"

We hope this website will provide you with some helpful information about the specialized pastoral care ministry provided by men and women who serve as police chaplains in law enforcement agencies around the world.

"Developing professional law enforcement chaplains through dynamic education and support"

Our Core Values:

• We respect and honor the badge and the men and women who have earned the right to wear it.
• We pledge availability to the needs of law enforcement officers and victims of crime.
• We subject our lives and our office to the scrutiny of accountability to ensure integrity.
• We offer professionalism of service, including confidential listening, and spiritual counsel.

All of us are very proud of our work. Often we are so focused on our mission of service to officers that when our work is completed, we simply return to our regular ministries without telling the story of our work.

This is an opportunity to tell you about our work with police officers, other members of our police departments, other public agencies, and members of our communities who face moments of crisis or tragedy.

Police officers often say to us that "I wouldn't do the difficult work you do for anything!" They are trained and able to face armed robbers or control an unruly crowd. But a sobbing parent at a SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) incident can erase even the most stoic officer's composure.

Entering that saddest of moments is no easier for a chaplain, but the chaplain brings experience, training and skills to the tragedy that are as specialized as the law enforcement resources every officer develops with training and experience.

As a team, both chaplain and officer make an important difference in the lives of persons touched by tragedy. We work together.

Chaplains represent a wide variety of religious traditions and levels of professional preparation and endorsement. But when the chaplain is working in the police world, each is "chaplain" for everyone, not the religious leader of a particular tradition serving a particular congregation or service agency.

Chaplains serve many personal and spiritual needs of individuals where they are, when they need the support of another person who comes to them without judgment, with openness, and cares for them until the crisis moment is over.

Chaplains respect the persons they serve, even though there may be profound differences in race, gender, economic status, religious experience and many other factors.

Chaplains come at any hour, in all kinds of weather. Mostly, they listen. But they also comfort people who are shaking with fear with a gentle touch . . . or perhaps, if someone asks, a prayer will be offered in guarded privacy to support the trembling of spirit that comes in difficult moments.

Chaplains also understand the difficulties of public bureaucracies, assisting with the "red tape" moments of life for officers and the public alike. They spend many hours riding as active passengers with officers on patrol duty.

They also participate in a wide variety of training programs with their officer partners. Often chaplains are asked to teach classes dealing with stress, family life, relationships, ethics, and other issues.