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How
SLEC Got Started 
Welcome
to the Sierra Law Enforcement Chaplaincy (SLEC). Many of you may
be wondering what a police chaplain does. So I would like to give
you a little background information first about how this ministry
started and then share with you some of the duties our chaplains perform.
The Sierra
Law Enforcement Chaplaincy was formed by the vision of Rev. Tim Thompson
who was serving at the time as the associate chaplain to the Sacramento
Police and Sheriffs Department and California State Police. In addition,
Tim was a reserve police officer and deputy with these departments.
He served these agencies as a law enforcement chaplain for seven years.
At the time Chaplain Thompson lived in El Dorado County and often when
he was responding to an officer emergency in the middle of the night he
would hear a voice inside his head as he drove in the darkness down the
hill to Sacramento, “Why do you export this ministry outside you county?
Why not do something for the officers right here in the county where you
live?”
In 1990 Tim
listened to that voice and began providing part-time Chaplaincy service
to the El Dorado County Sheriffs Office. The need became very apparent
for such a ministry. In that first year Tim responded to a deputy
who was shot by a suspect and a deputy’s family who had been killed in
a car accident while responding to a call. Two years later (through
a reorganization of the Sacramento program) in 1992, Tim left the Sacramento
Police and Sheriffs Department to begin a full-time program in El Dorado
County.
In
that beginning year Tim received the approval from not only the sheriffs
department to provide Chaplaincy services bur also from the Placerville
and Folsom and South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and the District Attorneys
Office. In addition, who entered into contracts to provide Chaplaincy
services to Marshall Hospital and Snowline Hospice.
This
program services the needs of all law enforcement individuals who work
in El Dorado County. It is an ecumenical ministry that responds to the
needs of victims, and officers regardless of religion, belief, denominational
background, or lack thereof.
The
Chaplaincy has grown and developed to provide a diverse service to many
individuals in the county. It responds to the needs the sworn personnel
serving in law enforcement, as well as the needs of crime victims, auto
fatalities, emergency medical services, suicide victims and other coroner
cases. The program has been able to acquire pastors who serve churches
in the area to provide a corp. of Reserve Chaplains who respond to these
diverse needs and assist the Senior Chaplain when he is not available.
This manual is designed to guide new Reserve Chaplains and familiarize
you in the various agencies we serve and the victims we respond too.
INTRODUCTION
For
those who are new to law enforcement ministry, the following information
will be helpful to you as you begin your Chaplaincy duties with us.
You
may come to us with a background of military Chaplaincy, hospital Chaplaincy,
pastorate or a number of other ministerial experiences. You will find
ministering to deputy sheriffs and police officers has a unique quality
about it that is unlike any other ministry you have known. Having a pastoral
or Chaplaincy background helps, but there are other areas you will have
to become acquainted with.
To
list just a few areas that you will need to become familiar with, will
include:
These
are only a few of the areas you will need to become familiar with. As
there is a certain jargon or acronym used in the military, so it is true
for law enforcement. Remember you are entering their world. Just as
you would learn the language and culture of a group you were going to
be a missionary to, the same is true when you enter the world of law enforcement.
You will need to learn their culture and language. In order to minister
to people effectively, you need to learn their language. The following
material will help you by introduction to do just that.
THE
CHAPLAIN’S ASPIRATION
Believing
that God is the answer to man’s dilemma, the Chaplain stands ready to
bear witness to the forgiving love and redeeming power of God, through
Jesus Christ, to all people, especially to those in crisis. He prays
that God will guide his thoughts, words, and actions. He seeks to be
a channel of God’s love. He desires to serve as a source of support and
counsel to the enforcement community.
PURPOSE
- The purpose
of the Chaplaincy Program shall be to provide spiritual guidance and
counseling to all members of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department,
Placerville, Folsom, and South Lake Tahoe Police Department. The Placerville
Division of the Highway Patrol, and the county Probation Department,
and the District Attorneys Office, both sworn and civilian, and their
families in time of need.
- The services
of the chaplain are to be available on the basis of need and desire.
He is not intended, nor does he wish to replace an individual’s Clergyman.
- To assist
law enforcement officers and the citizens of the community by responding
out in the field to the needs as they present themselves
- To provide
spiritual guidance, counseling, comfort in times of crisis. The chaplain
should be a referral source to put people in contact with the appropriate
agency or agencies to help them.
DEFINITIONS
CHAPLAINCY:
A ministry to the people of the community in the area of field service
to and through the law enforcement agencies.
SERVICE:
The Chaplaincy will provide the services of a chaplain on a twenty, four
hour, seven-day-a-week basis. At the request of a law enforcement agency,
the chaplain will seek to bring comfort and consolation to persons involved
in accidents, natural catastrophes, or confronted with death.
QUALIFICATIONS
FOR APPOINTMENT AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT CHAPLAIN
A
candidate for law enforcement chaplain must meet the minimum qualifications:
- Be a
college graduate
- Preferably
a seminary graduate
- Be an
ordained or licensed member of the clergy in good standing and receive
an Ecclesiastical Endorsement for the Chaplaincy by a recognized religious
denomination.
- Show
a God-like compassion, understanding and love for his fellow-human being
and relate easily to people.
- Maintain
high spiritual and moral standards.
- Manifest
a broad base of experience and professional maturity, emotional
stability and personal flexibility.
- Be tactful
and considerate in his approach to all people, regardless of race, creed,
or religion.
- Indicate
a willingness to be involved in training that would enhance one’s efficiency
in meeting and dealing with people in crisis (e.g., trauma (intervention)
should be familiar with community medical, psychiatric and other such
resources in the local area.
- Be willing
and available to respond to any and all situations where his presence,
as chaplain, is indicated.
- Possess
a valid and current California driver’s license and insurance.
- Have a
clean criminal record.
- Have a
good credit and financial history.
- Maintain
a high standard of confidentiality
- A willingness
to minister in a secular environment and respect the First Amendment
rights of the people he/she serves.
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE CHAPLAIN
The
Chaplaincy Board
The
Chaplaincy Board operates out of the guidelines set by the constitution
and by-laws of the Sierra Law Enforcement Chaplaincy. The board of directors
are responsible for all policy, personnel and fiscal matters.
The
Chaplain Supervisor
1. To supervise the daily operations of the Chaplaincy
ministry.
2. To maintain the Chaplaincy office.
3. To co-ordinate funding efforts.
4. To report as directed to the board of directors
as to Chaplaincy matters.
5. To supervise the work of associate chaplains and
reserve Chaplaincy corp.
6. Establish and maintain liaison with all agencies
served by the Sierra Law Enforcement Chaplaincy.
7. ETo do the work of the Chaplaincy.
FURTHER
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHAPLAINS
As
part of his official the chaplain is expected to perform the following
tasks and other such duties that may be requested of him by the law enforcement
agency.
RESPOND
TO:
1. Death notices
2. Suicide attempts
3. Hostage situations
4. Lost child
5. Family disturbance
6. Major injury accidents
7. Victims of crime
When
an officer is seriously injured or has died on duty, respond to the hospital
emergency room, and identify himself to the hospital staff and the hospital
chaplain and work both according to common ethical courtesies.
Counsel
officers with personal problems.
Be
available for any major demonstration in the city or any public function
requiring the presence of a large number of law enforcement officers.
Visit
the sick and injured law enforcement personnel at home or in the hospital
Attend
and participate in funeral of active as well as retired members of the
agency or department.
Conduct
memorial services.
Assist
department officials in making notifications to families of law enforcement
officers receiving injury or upon death.
Participate
in “in service” training sessions.
Be
available to enter into training courses to enhance his or her effectiveness.
Periodically
attend roll calls.
Attend
departmental graduations, promotions, award ceremonies, dinners, social
events, etc., and offer invocations and benedictions.
Represent
the department before official bodies upon request.
Be
responsible for the organization and development of the spiritual organizations
in the department.
The
senior chaplain will recruit, train, deploy, supervise and evaluate a
team of volunteer clergy to assist in performing the ministry. Each reserve
chaplain will report in writing to the senior chaplain regarding services
rendered (forms to be provided). Privileged information, however, will
not be included in the report.
Respond
to all major disasters in the city: bombings, building collapses, explosions,
airplane crashes, multiple-alarms, fire, unusual industrial accidents
and other disasters.
Provide
liaison with other religious leaders in the community.
Notify
as soon as possible the involved person’s clergyman in cases of death
or serious injury.
Make
proper referrals in unique cases which need specialized attention.
Assist
in raising funds for the Chaplaincy ministry - keep supporters appraised
of the work of the ministry.
The
chaplain is not a law enforcement officer, but God’s representative duly
ordained - an approved and experienced minister of his denomination.
His responsibilities to assist all officers, upon request, on matters
within the chaplain’s realm. He shall not, in anyway, interfere with
an officer in the performance of his duties, but be subject to the authority
of the officer on duty.
The
chaplain is a staff assistant to the law enforcement agency.
The
chaplain is authorized to visit the officers of the agency and have access
to all buildings and scenes where the presence of law enforcement officers
indicates the requirement of need for his services. The chaplain shall
carry on his person the Identification Card issued by the department or
agency. The chaplain, when on duty, shall properly identify himself,
be courteous, and
conduct
himself in a manner becoming his role and ministry. For this purpose,
the chaplain may converse with any member of the department whenever the
need for such services arise.
The
chaplain should have a basic knowledge of the duties of law enforcement
officers and seek to keep abreast of new procedures, and be willing to
attend training sessions and programs at the agencies.
The
chaplain shall conform to all law enforcement procedures insofar as applicable.
The
chaplain on duty would be available to the dispatcher at all times either
by radio or telephone. If the chaplain is on vacation or out of town,
he will designate a clergyman to act in his absence.
The
chaplain shall not publicly criticize the action of any law enforcement
officer, departmental official, fellow chaplain, or department policy
or action.
The
chaplain shall not release any information to the news media or insurance
agencies or attorneys regarding cases in which he is involved. All information
secured should be held in strictest confidence and used only for the benefit
of the persons or officers involved.
In
the field of religious guidance, he is an advisor to the law enforcement
agency administrators in all matters pertaining to the moral, spiritual,
and religious welfare of law enforcement personnel.
DEVELOPING
THE CHAPLAIN’S ROLE
1. Availability - Part of the Law Enforcement
Team
A
chaplain’s duties are similar to those of a military chaplain - a person
who is always there when the officers and their families need him. Just
as a pastor cannot serve his people unless he is one of them, neither
can the law enforcement team. He cannot wait for the man or woman to
come to him. The chaplain must go to them! He must meet those who need
his services wherever
they
may be - at the station house or in a patrol car; at the scene of a disturbance
or disaster; in the hallway or office; or at socials functions, as well
as their homes.
2. Counseling of Law Enforcement Officers
Counseling
is an important phase of the chaplain’s work, and more and more law enforcement
officers and their families seek out the chaplain. He provides counseling
and consultation for law enforcement personnel and families in personal,
marital, family, job related and other problems.
a. Unique Demands
There
have been drastic changes in the law enforcement service in past
years. Today, more than ever, the law enforcement career is unique in
its demands. According to Clarance M. Kelly, the former Director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigations; “The time has come for Americans to
understand and appreciate - the humanitarian nature of the law enforcement
profession I have known thousands of officers - They are human. They
have emotions.”
(FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - December 1, 1973).
b.
High Stress Occupation
Indeed,
law enforcement officers are subject to the same kinds of feelings and
tensions as other people. Law enforcement work is considered a high stress
occupation that involves considerable provocation on a day-to-day basis
for the average law enforcement officer on the street. The many pressures
of the job create an added burden on the officer on the street.
The
many pressures of the job create an added burden on the officer
which may effect his physical, emotional and personal well-being. Law
enforcement work is an occupation requiring a high level of emotional
stability. Because personal, family or job-related problems
are likely to interfere with optimum performance on the job, it is important
that counseling services be made available to officers and their families,
particularly those with stress-related problems.
3.
Confidentiality - Privileged Communication
The
law enforcement officer who comes for counseling to the chaplain should
clearly understand that this is an “off the record” and privileged communication
which will not be reported to their supervisor or have and bearing on
his or her job-status. This element of confidentiality is very important
to the over-all effectiveness of the chaplain and his rapport with the
men and women of the agency.
4. Referral
to Other Professional Resources 
Because of the
demands made on the chaplain’s time, the chaplain will most likely be able
to offer only a brief, short-term, crisis-oriented type of counseling.
If, in his opinion, a long-term counseling program is desirable for a particular
officer or family member, he may refer the individual to an appropriate
community agency or to a marriage counselor. However, the law enforcement
chaplain must keep in mind that serious crisis-oriented problems can arise
in a law enforcement officer’s life and he should be available to offer
immediate help with the understanding that other professional help may be
recommended when the crisis passes.
5.
Co-operation with Other Law Enforcement Chaplains
The
Law Enforcement Chaplain needs to stay in touch with other chaplains, not
only in his own area, but throughout the country. He should maintain this
contact by attending meetings, conferences, and workshops in order to find
out what other departments or chaplains are doing.
RESERVE
CHAPLAINS
It
is the responsibility of the Chaplain Supervisor to organize, train and
supervise a corp. of chaplain volunteers. This corp. shall be composed
of duly ordained clergymen/ or women who desire to serve the law enforcement
community.
The
purpose of this corp. is to assist the chaplain in ministry to the agencies
that the Sierra Law Enforcement Chaplaincy serves.
NOMINATION
AND APPOINTMENT
Persons
interested in serving on the Chaplaincy staff shall complete an application
form setting forth personal information, their experience, education and
willingness to actively participate.
The
Chaplaincy Board of Directors shall review and give careful and prayerful
consideration to each application submitted, considering the effect on
the overall Chaplaincy program.
Chaplains
will be approved for an indefinite term; however, each chaplain will review
his commitment each year as to his availability.
ORIENTATION
OF THE VOLUNTEER
1. Orientation
and training sessions will be provided for all participants. Their attendance
at these sessions are mandatory, to participate in the chaplaincy program.
2.
The Reserve Chaplains may visit the offices of the departments or agencies
at the discretion of the law enforcement agency heads (Chief’s or Sheriff).
3. Each
Reserve Chaplain is expected to participate in one ride along lasting
no less than (6) hours a month.
4. Each chaplain
will present a report to the full-time chaplain each month. The full-time
chaplain will keep record of all services rendered.
AGENCY
LOCATIONS
EL
DORADO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Main
Building-
300
Fair Lane Main Jail
Main
St. 1051
Al Tahoe
621-5655
573-3040
South
Lake Tahoe Court House
1360
Johnson Suite 100 495 Main St.
South
Lake Tahoe, 96150 621-6426
573-3000
Main
Jail
Central Dispatch
300
Forni Rd. 330 Fair Lane
621-6011
621-6600
PLACERVILLE
CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Main
Building
730 Main St.
642-5625
FOLSOM
CITY & POLICE - 355-7231
El
Dorado County Probation South
Lake Tahoe Police
295 Fair Lane
1352 Johnson Blvd.
621-5626 South
Lake Tahoe 956150
California
Highway Patrol El Dorado County
District Attorney
Placerville
Division 515 Main St.
3031 Lo Hi Way 621-7420
622-1110
BRIEFING
SCHEDULE
EL
DORADO SHERIFFS
06:00
Day Shift
13:00
Cover Shift
18:00
Graveyard Shift
EL
DORADO COUNTY JAIL
07:00
Day Shift
15:00
Swing Shift
23:00
Graveyard Shift
PLACERVILLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT
07:00
Day Shift
19:00
Graveyard Shift
FOLSOM
POLICE DEPARTMENT
06:00
Day Shift
18:00
Graveyard Shift
HIGHWAY
PATROL
06:00
Day Shift
14:00
Swing Shift
22:00
Graveyard Shift
Courtesy
of Organizational Development Services
Plus | Updated January 1, 2009
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