Chico Police Chaplains
The Chico Police Chaplaincy is a volunteer unit created to provide non-denominational physical, mental and spiritual support to the City of Chico Police Department personnel and victims of crimes and tragedies in the greater Chico, California, area.
The Chico Police Chaplains Association assists the City of Chico Police Department in training of chaplains in police procedures, safety, first aid, radio communications and other protocols as required for the performance of the duties of the Chico Police Chaplains. The Chico Police Chaplains provide chaplaincy services as directed by the City of Chico Police Department.
The Chico Police Chaplaincy was formed during a training period from 1997 to 1999 in response to a request by the Chief of Police. The Chico Police Chaplains Association is a volunteer corps of local religious workers (ordained or licensed pastors, priests, etc.) who volunteer their time and effort at the direction of the Chico Police Department and its Chaplaincy program.
Purpose
The purposes of the Chico Police Chaplains Association can be seen in two categories.
- The first role of the Chico Police Chaplains Association is to be a ministry of care, support and presence to the employees and families of the Chico Police Department. In this capacity, chaplains regularly ride along with officers while on duty, visit dispatchers at work, visit sick and injured employees at the hospital or their homes, perform wedding and funeral services for police department employee families, and any other appropriate services which may be called for. In addition, chaplains may be asked to provide counsel for departmental employees for a variety of reasons. Chaplains also provide comfort services to officers during extraordinary duty situations, such as Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day patrol (two major law enforcement events in Chico), where the Chico Police Chaplains Association has served hot food and beverages to officers on duty.
- The second role of the chaplaincy is to the public, as specialized members of the Chico Police Department. Victims or relatives of the victims of violent crime, accidents, or other tragedies may require chaplains’ assistance. Chaplains make death notifications to relatives of deceased persons when dispatched by the Chico Police Department.
Duties
Specifically, The Chico Police Chaplains Association performs the following services and activities in accordance with its bylaws and purpose, and the general orders of the Chico Police Department. Along with the description of the activity is a percentage of time spent on average doing the activity and an explanation of how this activity promotes the purposes of the Chico Police Chaplains Association.
Training
All chaplains are certified by the International Conference of Police Chaplains. The roles of police chaplains includes:
- Death notifications
- Attempted or actual suicides
- Hostage situations
- Lost children
- Sexual assaults
- Child abuse
- Major Family disturbances, or domestic violence
- Major traffic accidents involving serious injury or death
- Line of duty injuries or death of officers.
- Accident situations involving serious injuries or death at homes, construction sites, fires, drowning, etc.
- Hospital calls and home visits to Chico Police personnel in cases of long hospital confinement.
- Counseling of Chico personnel with personal or specific problems.
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefings.
- Major demonstrations involving large numbers of law enforcement officers.
- Attend and participate in funerals of active as well as retired members and employees of the Chico Police Department and other departments.
- Conduct memorial services.
- Periodically attend briefing throughout the department.
- Attend department graduations, promotions, award ceremonies, dinners, social events and offer invocation and benediction
- Enhance public relations.
- Major disasters within the County of Butte.
- Special duties as requested by the Chief of Police.
- Halloween & St. Patricks Day
- Every 15 minute program
- COP HOP
- Chico Police Department Equestrian Unit
- Invocation, City Council Meetings
- Supervisory meetings, strategic planning, advisors to administrators
