When there’s tragedy on a scene where law enforcement respond, Radnor Police chaplains are there to provide comfort, writes J.F. Pirro for Main Line today.

The Radnor Police Chaplain Program has been around since 2017.  

Rev. Manuel Howard leads the five multi-denominational chaplains on the team.

“To be a Class A township, we need to deliver the best and most timely assistance,” says Chris Flanagan, Radnor’s police superintendent. “A chaplain can provide an immediate stopgap measure or remain connected (to those involved). We push support, not religion.”

Lynne Samson, a deacon at Wayne Presbyterian Church and a former Philadelphia assistant district attorney, has been with the program since it started.

“I’m grateful to have some street cred,” she jests. “But I also feel strongly that the police in general are very misunderstood—a lot like chaplains. No one wants a chaplain until you’re on your death bed. It’s the same with the police: No one wants you until you’re needed.”

The chaplains also serve the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of the police department and ride along in platoon cars on regular shifts.

“We want to give our officers a chance to be heard.”

 Read more at Main Line Today about the Radnor Police Chaplain program.