NORFOLK, Va. — When you think of a police chaplain, you may have an image of a man who presides over funerals and other somber events. But in the Norfolk Police Department, the Senior Chaplain is a woman and the chief uplifter for officers and the community.
“I think God put us here on this earth. We should have compassion and empathy and concern for one another,” said Terry Haddock, Norfolk Police Senior Chaplain.
She felt this way early on.
“I accepted Christ as a 15-year-old girl, so incredibly shy that I wouldn’t even pray for dinner," said Haddock.
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The quiet, shy teenager knew she'd lead a life of service, she just didn't know how.
“I always had a heart to serve in a ministry of some sort, but I never quite felt like I was a preacher of a church or something like that,” she said.
She comes from a law enforcement family.
A Navy kid, Haddock's father was a Master Chief at the Norfolk Naval Base. In 2003, she became a volunteer at the Norfolk Police Department to support her brother who was a police officer.
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Having graduated from seminary school, Haddock was offered the position of Senior Chaplain in 2014, a role historically held by men.
“At first, when I came on [I wondered,] being a woman, will they accept me?" she said. "They’ll be nice, they’ll be polite, but will they accept me?”
“And I can tell you 150% they have not had any issue with a woman being their Senior Chaplain, and I’m grateful for that," she said.
The grandmother of three keeps a busy schedule. Just last month, Chaplain Haddock gave the opening prayer at the State Senate.
While ceremonial prayers are part of the job, she and the four chaplains she oversees at the police department have a larger purpose: to provide comfort to police officers and the community.
“A lot of times they work a lot of crazy hours and they don’t get time to go to a place of worship,” said Haddock. "They need prayer, and they need a listening ear... and I think that actually diffuses maybe some of the stress that they have."
The chaplain routinely rides along with officers on patrol.
Ready to go 24-7, they’re called to the scene whenever the city loses someone.
“Officers, we’re human too. We have feelings,” said Norfolk Police Sgt. Ali Williams. "And a lot of times those deaths — the death of a 14-year-old that got killed for no reason — that hits us, especially when we have a 14-year-old at home."
“Whether you’re a person of faith or not, we can all agree when you go through something hard, it just hurts,” said Haddock.
“So to have that chaplain out there just to pray with us, to comfort us... and the family, that’s very important,” said Williams.
“I tell them and it's the truth: only God loves them more than I do,” said Haddock with a huge smile on her face.
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The police chaplain is part of the fabric of the department and the city.
“There’s promotions, there’s graduations, there’s sad things, but there's a lot of happy things,” Haddock said.
Her presence during life’s most memorable moments and the comfort and hope she provides makes her Positively Hampton Roads.
“I’m a firm believer that each one of us has a light and when we walk in a room, we should make a difference," she said.
In case you were wondering, a police chaplain doesn't carry a gun and they are not sworn officers.
Haddock is looking to add to her team of uplifters. If you are licensed and ordained in any spiritual denomination, you can apply for a chaplain position with the Norfolk Police Department. Those interested in applying can email police@norfolk.gov or call 757-664-3277.
