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September 30, 2009

Australian state’s police force to get its own Bible

by Kim Cain
Ecumenical News International

MELBOURNE, Australia — The police force of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales has been issued with its own special Police Bible, in what may be a world’s first.
 
The Bible, which includes a “police prayer,” images of police officers in action, and information on police ethics, service and integrity was produced by the Bible Society, and 3,000 copies have already been printed.

The Bible, complete with the NSW police crest, has been welcomed by the state’s police commissioner, Andrew Scipone, who said his copy will replace his own dog-eared Bible.

“I believe the Police Bible will impact on generations of police officers to come,” Commissioner Scipone said on receiving his edition. He said the Bibles “are especially important in our line of work. Our officers have a great deal of respect for our (police) chaplains, and what better way to build on that relationship than to share the Gospel?”

The NSW police, Australia’s oldest and largest police organization, has in the past been dogged with allegations of corruption which were disclosed in an official commission of inquiry in the 1990s, but which the force says have been dealt with.

The international head of United Bible Societies, the Rev. Markku Kotila, from Norway told Ecumenical News International that the Police Bible was in keeping with a trend in Bible societies around the world to publish the Scriptures and other material for specific audiences.
 
This included the “Soldiers’ Bible,” Bibles for members of parliament and after the terrorist attack in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, and a special tract for people who lost loved ones.

As well as being distributed by the New South Wales police force’s 107 chaplains, the new Police Bible will be presented on graduation to each officer from the state’s police training academy.