GO - 33006 - - Use - of - Police - Community - Chaplains

SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 330.06 Page 1 of 1 330.06 USE OF POLICE COMMUNITY CHAPLAINS 3-25-20 PURPOSE To establish guidelines for use of Police Community Chaplains. POLICY To use Police Community Chaplains for assisting victims, secondary victims, and witnesses of crimes and other catastrophic events. PROCEDURE A. DEFINITION 1. TRAUMATIC INCIDENT - Includes, but is not limited to, situations in which victims, secondary victims, and/or witnesses have been involved with, or exposed to, a violent crime or other catastrophic event, i.e. crimes against persons (rape, assault, etc.), robbery, hostage situations, accident victims (901A fatals), etc. 2. VICTIM - Any person who is the subject of a traumatic incident as defined in paragraph A1 above. 3. SECONDARY VICTIM - Any person vicariously traumatized as a result of a traumatic incident, i.e., family member, close friend, etc. 4. WITNESS - Any person traumatized as a result of observing a traumatic incident. B. GENERAL 1. A Police Community Chaplain is on call 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week to assist victims, secondary victims, and witnesses of crimes and other catastrophic events. 2. For post-trauma incidents involving Department employees, refer to General Order 570.03 when contacting a Law Enforcement Chaplain. 3. The on-duty Police Community Chaplain can be reached via the Communications Center. 4. Officers should consider requesting assistance from a Police Community Chaplain at any crime scene or event where victims, secondary victims, or witnesses are present. NOTE: Officers should use their own discretion in requesting a Police Community Chaplain, not that of the victim. a. Officers shall contact Communications Division to request a Police Community Chaplain. b. The Office of Operations shall maintain the Computer -Aided Dispatch "Info Index" for notification and scheduling of Police Community Chaplains. 5. Police Community Chaplains are trained to understand, and be sensitive of , the various police procedures conducted by officers, but shall not perform those procedures. C. CHAPLAIN RESPONSE 1. Police Community Chaplains shall respond based on requests from any patrol officer, detective, or other member of the department who becomes involved in an event where victims and/or witnesses are present. 2. Upon arrival at the scene, the Police Community Chaplain shall report to the supervising officer. 3. Police Community Chaplains shall not normally attend to any person identified as a suspect unless specifically requested to do so by the supervising officer. 4. Police Community Chaplains may make referrals, as necessary, to other appropriate community service agencies.