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FEATURE Six Reasons Your Department Should Have a Chaplain INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF POLICE CHAPLAINS Serving All Law Enforcement Chaplains By Steve Norden www.icpc4cops.org The International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC) began 40 years ago with the mission of "Developing Professional Law Enforcement Chaplains Through Dynamic Education and Support." The ICPC currently has over 2,000 members assisting agencies worldwide. ICPC members have served at Oklahoma City, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, as well as a myriad of major trauma and/ or disaster events. Many administrators require their chaplains to maintain membership with the ICPC and assist chaplains in training. A chaplain on a department who is poorly trained, there for the wrong reason, or ill-prepared could potentially be worse than none at all. Active ICPC membership ensures agency personnel receive the best possible professional support, compassion and care. ICPC fulflls its mission in a variety of ways. Professional ICPC chaplains pledge to abide by a Canon of Ethics that brings a level of integrity to a law enforcement agency's chaplains' corps. Among this Canon of Ethics is the critical understanding that a chaplain's primary mission is to support the personnel of the law enforcement agency. Proselytizing or attempting to indoctrinate law enforcement personnel is an egregious violation of this Canon. Training ICPC chaplains are well trained and given remarkable resources in order to serve and support those who walk the "thin blue line." We provide numerous opportunities to receive the foundational 12 Basic Core Courses at District, Regional and Annual Training Seminars. In addition we provide Enrichment, Liaison and Advanced courses to assist chaplains with their ongoing education. Credentialing Another beneft of ICPC membership is credentialing. Members who pursue ongoing education demonstrate to their agencies a willingness to remain on the cutting edge of current issues within law enforcement, thus providing superior support to the personnel they are sworn to serve. Support ICPC offers tremendous peer support to its members. As the accompanying article by Chaplain Dan Luce articulates, law enforcement personnel are exposed to some of the most horrible and devastating situations life brings. Frequently, chaplains are exposed to many of those same situations either directly, or by providing support and care for the personnel of their agency. One of the benefts of membership with ICPC is the great cadre of people who provide care for the caregiver. We also provide resources to assist chaplains if they encounter a challenging situation and need guidance on how best to respond. For more information about ICPC, please visit www.icpc4cops.org. Chaplain Steve Norden is a volunteer chaplain with the Dublin, Ohio Division of Police having served since 1990. He is also a volunteer with the Columbus Resident Agency of the FBI (Cincinnati Division) having served since 2012. He has received a Master Level Credential from the ICPC and serves them as chair of the Public Relations Committee and Parliamentarian. do not have the time to offer and having a compassionate and knowledgeable chaplain can greatly help a grieving family through the initial steps of dealing with that trauma. Additionally, it can relieve the offcer's burden of "wishing he/she could do more." This is one role that departments will fnd indispensable once they see the support it brings to their offcers and the people of their community. Religious Services If a department is interested or open to having faith-related activities, then chaplains can help to provide a context for those to take place. Chaplains can conduct worship services and bible studies as needed. They can also offer invocations and benedictions at academy graduations, memorial services, award ceremonies, and also other civic or social events as they are requested. If your department operates a jail, then a chaplain has an additional realm of infuence. Often, inmates will request time with a chaplain for counseling. Also, a chaplain can be the liaison and coordinator for other faith organizations that want to perform services in the jail. Weddings / Funerals Occasionally, the chaplain is asked to perform weddings and funerals by the offcers and their families. This is due, in large part, because often the chaplain is the only minister with whom law enforcement can relate. As opportunities arise, the chaplain responds to the needs of the department as an opportunity for ministry and witness. Specialized Training Chaplains participate in basic law enforcement training. Whether it's training for departmental procedures, weapons training, or patrol stops, chaplains can take in training alongside their offcers. Chaplains can sometimes even become training resources for personnel in the department. A great example of this is a chaplain-led training specifcally for spouses of incoming rookie offcers. This training helps identify the unique aspects of the job their signifcant other is embarking on and offers tools and insight as to what to expect going into this profession. Dan Luce is the Associate Pastor with the Open Door Fellowship in Kouts, Ind. and the Chaplain 2 with the Porter County, Ind. Sheriff's Department. He may be reached at danluceodf@msn. com. Photos by International Conference of Police Chaplains. LaO 90 LAW and ORDER I October 2013 Post your comments on this story by visiting www.lawandordermag.com