Montville ― The police department now has two chaplains after they were sworn in at a ceremony Wednesday night during a Public Safety Commission meeting.

Town Clerk Katie Haring swore in Pastor Dominic Brewer of the Montville Union Baptist Church, and Deacon William Herrmann of the Divine Mercy Parish as commissioners, police officers and firefighters looked on.

Brewer and Herrmann attended a Chaplains Basic Training Course presented by Resilient Minds on the Front Lines in September 2023.

Chief Wilfred Blanchette presented the chaplains with their police badges. He told the audience his decision to add chaplains was the latest in a line of small changes he’s made to the department since being hired, thanking Lt. David Radford for his help.

“We both decided this program was long overdue,” Blanchette said.

He said Herrmann and Brewer will provide assistance, advice, comfort, counsel and referrals for officers and residents who request their support.

He told the commission that this change and others have been in the interest of improving service to officers and the community.

Gary Holden, director of Chaplains Training for Resilient Minds and a chaplain himself, said that when talking about police chaplains, those goals intertwine.

“We’re first and foremost there for the officers and their families. And then, naturally for the community. So the two go together,” Holden said. “And I always say if you’re helping law enforcement, then you’re helping the community.”

But sometimes, a chaplain’s can help members of the community, such as in cases of a death of friend or family member, he said.

“When there’s a death notification, a chaplain and an officer goes to give the death notification, and often the chaplain is the one who actually gives the death notification. The chaplain could then provide emotional support,” Holden said.

“We’re there for them,” he added. “It could be a few hours you’re there with them. I’ve stayed there seven or eight hours. We don’t leave them alone in other words.”

“And again, we’re not bringing our religion in there,” Holden said.

Holden said there are chaplains trained in every religion, but that the religion is rarely a factor. Spiritual guidance can be provided, but the chaplain’s goal is more to provide a secular “ministry of presence” to soothe and comfort emotionally distressed persons, sometimes under extreme circumstances, he said.

“My experience is, they just want a chaplain. They don’t care what religion it is,” he said.

Holden said it typically takes two to five years after installing a chaplain program to see it used to its full potential, as the chaplains first build trust with officers and their communities.

d.drainville@theday.com