Bishop Ronnie White
Chair, IACP Police Chaplains Section

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) organized a Police Chaplains Section August 2020, and the section held its first official meeting during IACP 2020 in October.

The purpose of this section is to provide the law enforcement profession, more specifically, law enforcement executives, with information, training, and a forum for discussion on police chaplain specific topics to include, but not limited to:

• The establishment of effective police chaplain programs
• The operation and maintenance of effective police chaplain programs
• Resources and information related to support programs to include, but not limited to counseling, peer-support, and family support

The Police Chaplain Section actively promotes, through education and training, an increased understanding of police chaplain services and the value chaplains provide to agencies and communities. The Police Chaplain Section also assists the IACP and its membership in coordinating efforts to implement mutual objectives of:

• Improving community engagement and public safety through police chaplain programs
• Increase the knowledge and understanding of the value, benefits, and importance of police chaplain programs
• Provide a forum for police chaplains to share information, challenges, and collaborative solutions.

The Police Chaplain Section is holding monthly meetings and has a sub-committee currently working on mental health issues. We are looking forward to collaborating with other sections, and committees, and sharing our unique perspective as police chaplains.

If you are a police chaplain or a police leader interested in police chaplain programs, we encourage you to join the section. To learn more about this section, including how to join, visit the IACP Police Chaplain Section webpage.