Police Chaplain

The Surfside Police Chaplain is Rabbi Zalman Lipskar.Rabbi Lipskar serves as a Rabbi at The Shul of Bal Harbour and is involved in the spiritual development, teaching and counseling of teens and young adult Jewish leaders. Police chaplains can be found in local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Some agencies, depending on their needs and resources, have police chaplains who fill a dual role as sworn law enforcement officers. But whether they are sworn officers or civilians, these chaplains are always ordained ministers, priests, or rabbis. Although they often provide religious and moral guidance to officers and their families, they have a wide range of other duties.

Counseling:
One of the duties of a police chaplain is to provide counseling to officers, their families, and other law enforcement employees. The chaplain may do this simply by providing a sympathetic ear to an officer who has experienced a traumatic incident such as an accident, a shooting, or even a non-police-related death in the family. Officers experiencing marital problems can also turn to their chaplain for guidance. Essentially, the chaplain is there to provide a friendly and easily accessible resource who can help officers and their families get past their personal or spiritual difficulties.

Crisis Response:
Police chaplains may be called upon to provide mediation in a crisis situation. A barricaded person, a potential suicide, or a hostage-taker may not wish to speak to police officers but may be willing to speak to a chaplain from their particular religion. In a situation like this a chaplain would be called in to communicate with the individual directly to try to defuse the situation in a safe manner.

Visit Sick or Injured Officers and their Families:
A police officer's life can be incredibly stressful. But it becomes much more stressful when the officer or a family member is ill or seriously injured. A chaplain also provides a measure of support by visiting sick or injured officers, or by visiting an officer's sick family member.
 
Death Notifications:
Police officers are often called upon to notify families of deaths due to suicides, fatal accidents, or criminal acts. When possible, a police chaplain will accompany the officers and make the actual notification