Community Chaplains

BPD Chaplains

The Baltimore Police Department Community Chaplaincy Program offers:

  • Emotional and spiritual resources
  • Assistance and support
  • Spiritual insight and perspectives on struggles associated with the risks implicit in law enforcement and community culture.

All Chaplains are volunteers and leaders from within their respective Houses of Worship.

The Chaplaincy builds trust with officers and the community while working to strengthen and bridge the relational equity between the two with a built-in understanding of law enforcement applying their value systems to improve their resilience and well-being as requested.

Use of the Chaplaincy is voluntary and available to all BPD employees and community members in an unconditional, non-denominational and non-judgmental manner without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or protected genetic information.

Requests for Chaplain services will be granted as resources permit.

View the Community Chaplain policy

Community Chaplain Application

Instructions: Please complete the application fully.  Read and check the affirmation at the end of the form.

Name

Address

Personal Information

Gender
Are you a Citizen of the U.S?
Do you possess a valid Driver’s license?
A pastoral (Leader) letter of recommendation is required for this application, are you able to provide a letter within the next 2 weeks?
Are you willing and able to commit to 20 volunteer hours per month?

Education

Education

High School Information

College/Trade information

Employment History

Currently

Employer 1

Military

Have you served in the military?
Discharged

Additional questions

Have you ever previously applied for any position in the Baltimore Police Department or any other Law Enforcement Agency?
Have you ever been a defendant in any court action?
Are you now, or have you ever been a member of any organization, corporation, company, partnership, association, trust, foundation, fund, club, society, committee, political party, or any group of person whether or not incorporated, which engages in or advocates, abets, advises or teaches, or a purpose of which is to engage in, or advocate, abet, advise or teach activities intended to overthrow, destroy or alter or assist in the overthrow, destruction or alteration of the Constitutional form of Government of the United States or of the State of Maryland, or of any political sub division of either of them by revolution, force, violence or other unlawful means?
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FAQ

What is the purpose of the program?

The purpose of the Baltimore Police Department Community Chaplaincy (BPDCC) program is to offer emotional and spiritual resources, assistance and support both to BPD personnel and community members in times of personal, and professional need and in crisis situations. Their duties include offering spiritual insight and perspective on struggles associated with the risks of law enforcement and community culture as described in Policy 1718.

What are the ecclesiastical requirements for a chaplain?

Applicants must obtain an official ecclesiastical endorsement from their denomination or House of Worship. This endorsement should certify that the applicant is a certified spiritual leader, qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually and emotionally to serve in law enforcement and the community, and sensitive to religious diversity.

What if my denomination does not ordain clergy?

Members of ecclesiastically recognized institutes of vowed men or women are eligible for the chaplaincy. For those religious communities or traditions who do not ordain, adequate documentation of the applicant's recognized religious and ministerial leadership roles are required.

Who does the BPDCC serve?

Chaplains are trained and part of the BPD family serving police officers, departmental civilian staff, the community they serve in, as well as other city employees as needed.

Who is the BPDCC for?

Our program includes a wide representation of Baltimore’s population and the personnel that make up the BPD. We seek current ministry leaders from houses of worship of all faiths that live, work or worship within the city. We recruit leaders who are carrying current ministry credentials respective to each one’s faith and receive full endorsement of their spiritual leadership.

What sets the BPDCC apart from other chaplaincy programs?

BPDCC has trained more than 400 clergy since 2014 and currently has approximately 100 volunteer active chaplains. The program is successful and one of the nation’s largest chaplaincy programs because of the deep desire among the Baltimore faith community to serve and build bridges consistently across the city. Our unique approach is summed up in the saying “We get in, we get out and we bridge the two.” Meaning, we get in the cars and the districts with the officers to give support and build relational equity. We get out of the car, meaning we have an existing relationship and credibility with the community. We bridge the two by working to bring the police and community together.

How are the BPDCC trained?

Chaplaincy candidates are trained for 25 hours at the BPD academy with the same training and instructors sworn personnel receive. After completing the academy orientation, the candidates are commissioned and have up to six months to complete the trainee requirements under supervision of a chaplaincy coach. An annual assessment is completed prior to renewal of BPDCC credentials. Continued training is also offered throughout the year from our partners such as Johns Hopkins, UMMC and Roberta's House on topics like trauma-informed care, behavioral crisis and Clinical Pastoral Education.

What does BPDCC do in the districts?

Chaplains are uniquely trained and positioned to:

  • Personally listen and support
  • Attend roll calls
  • Participate in ride-alongs
  • Provide officer appreciation events
  • Participate in community walks and events

What does the BPDCC do citywide?

Chaplains are uniquely trained and positioned for the following:

  • Officer-involved shootings
  • Line of duty injuries
  • Assist with safety during protests and citywide events
  • Coordinate crisis and disaster relief

Are there physical requirements to be a Chaplain?

No chaplain will be forced to perform any physical assessments. However, each one must determine if they are able to fulfill duties that include physical activity such as:

  • Ability to get in and out of vehicles multiple times
  • Walk and stand for 3 to 10 hours at a time in various weather conditions
  • Accessibility to reliable transportation

Are there time requirements to be active in the BPDCC?

Each chaplain is asked to volunteer a minimum of 10 to 15 hours per month. It begins with meeting the training requirements then progresses into the work of the district schedules. This is all in respect to current family, work and house of worship obligations.

Who supervises the work of the BPDCC?

The BPDCC is part of the BPD’s Community Partnership Unit. Based on Policy 1718, the BPD employs a civilian whose job is to coordinate the program citywide within the scope of recruitment, to supervise all volunteer chaplain engagement throughout the year. This person is known as the BPDCC Coordinator. The acting Coordinator is Matt Stevens who can be reached by text or phone at 443-915-3313 or by email at neal.stevens@baltimorepolice.org.