Award-winning School Resource Officer happy to be on ‘Team Bethel’
Nothing is more important than protecting the students, staff, and community members of our district, and that job would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our team of School Resource Officers.
In many ways, Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Vickie Morrison is the face of Bethel’s SRO program. Whether she’s in a school, at a sporting event, or patrolling the district, Morrison always has smile on her face and a few kind words for the students and staff members she meets.
Morrison is a Pierce County native who grew up playing sports and enjoying the outdoors with her parents and sister. She loved roller skating and karate as a child, and also spent time playing soccer, softball and basketball. It was an ideal childhood, and she credits her parents for teaching her the life lessons she still uses today.
“Although we did not have a lot of money, both my parents worked hard to provide a great upbringing,” Morrison said. “One thing that has really stuck with me is ‘family first’ and ‘treat people the way you would want to be treated.’”
Morrison became interested in law enforcement while choosing a career path in college. She was working at a local mall when she met a number of Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputies, who spoke to her about what the job entailed. It sounded like a perfect fit, and she soon began what would become a 22-year (and counting) career with PCSD.
Morrison has been a School Resource Officer for the past 13 years, and she says it’s a difficult but rewarding job.
“The job of a School Resource Officer, done correctly, is not easy,” she said. “However, a successful School Resource Officer also experiences rich rewards, from building relationships to being part of a team and a process that creates an environment for positive change.”
One of the challenging aspects of her job is overcoming the negative perceptions that some families and students have about police officers, and Morrison works hard to change those perceptions.
“I take pride in the way I do business. I am fair and consistent when dealing with incidents within or around the schools,” she said. “When students and families get to know the person behind the badge, they begin to understand the role of police officers in a different light.”
Morrison’s work in our community hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. Earlier this year she was named the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department’s Law Enforcement Deputy of the Year. It was a great honor, but Morrison took it in stride and went right back to work.
“This career is rewarding, and I believe that in my time as a Deputy Sheriff, I have positively impacted the community I serve,” she said.
