Recent years have seen a renewed public interest in the work of American police, with particular attention paid to the issues of police brutality and over-policing of poor minority communities, problems that have marked the work of American policing since its inception. At the same time, police departments themselves have been vocal about the challenges their officers face, particularly with regards to mental health. This project explores a role that sits at the historical and contemporary nexus of each of these conversations. Chaplains have ministered to police for over a century, supporting officers struggling with personal and spiritual challenges. They are often called upon to defuse violent and complicated situations, such as suicide attempts, and to preach at funerals of officers killed on the job. At the same time, some chaplains have worked as reformers in police departments, challenging abuses and racial bias. Still others have vocally supported police and have been loud voices for tough “law and order” policing practices. This project explores the history of police chaplains with an eye towards their ministerial practices; their theological influences; and their activist work, all with the goal of helping American Christians better understand the religious work of policing and helping chaplains themselves think critically and constructively about their vocations.