THERE are now more than 650 police chaplains across the country,
most of them registered with the National Association of Chaplains
to the Police (NACP). While the police have increasing demands made
on them with diminishing resources, the need for their pastoral
care is growing.
The Lincolnshire Police have just appointed
three chaplains for the first time, and they joined colleagues from
other forces at a recent training event held in Derbyshire by the
NACP, which has been running induction courses for police chaplains
for some years, to provide a basic level of awareness training and
to explore the difficult issues that affect the police.
The new chaplains were welcomed by the Deputy National Police
Chaplain, the Revd Adrian Gatrill, senior chaplain with the Durham
Constabulary, along with chaplains from North Yorkshire, South
Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Humberside. The majority of police
forces now have chaplains, he told them, "and it's great to have
Lincolnshire on board."