Lincoln South Rotary Club heard from Michon Morrow, Lincoln Chief of Police, on August 23, 2024. She shared the vision for the Lincoln Police Department.
Chief Morrow told us that she has been with the Lincoln Police Department since she was 19. She shared that she was enrolled at Nebraska Wesleyan in pre-med. But she landed an internship with Lincoln Police Department in the Victim Assistance Program. She shared that it is important to know that internships are important - they help us understand if the path we are on - is the path we should be on. She never left the Lincoln Police Department after the experience of that internship.
The LPD Organization and the Lincoln Community are very important. She is grateful for what they have provided. Within the Department she was able to work flexible shifts which allowed her to be a working mother. The ability to have a full career - with opportunities to learn and advance - and raise her family was important to her. It worked for her family - much different from those that work 9-5 jobs.
She shared the Mission of LPD: We, the members of the Lincoln Police Department, working with all people, are committed to providing quality services that promote a safe and secure community.
She said that everything ties back to that mission. Their purpose is to serve the community as police officers.
They also adopted a Leadership Philosophy: Mission First, People Always.
She said that the organization has organized teams, strategic meetings, an opportunity for everyone to provide input. It is a full democracy - not a dictatorship, there is no president. All members are encouraged to provide input. As long as those ideas are meeting the focus, they are considered. Of course they are weighed against ideas serving the organization.
They have set department priorities:
- Recruitment - it has been challenging; and they have to be sure that when they are bringing them in the front door, they aren't losing others out the back door
- Retention
- Resilience - LPD has worked through some tough issues recently - the Pandemic, civil unrest with riots; this has been a focus for the Department starting with a Wellness Committee; it has been a passion of the chief for years; the officers carry a lot of weight and it starts to be a burden
- Respect - it is top down and down up; how people are treated in the department is what you see in the community
Recruitment is tough. They get many applications but few make it. As far as Retention they have been able to provide job security and benefits - up to $99,00 in salary and benefits including educational support and bilingual pay. They have added paid parental leave and programs to support work-life balance.
Resiliency is important. They are providing emotional and mental support to the officers. They understand what they are facing and ave set up wellness support, Employee Assistance Program and Peer Support. They celebrate with Awards and social events including family events. The respect aspect includes mutual respect with LPD and the Community.
Chief Morrow shared the planned phases for their recruits. They have academy and then field training before they are given duties. In the plan - of the current recruits in academy - they plan that about half will be placed into special investigator or unit positions.
She is proud of the work being done by her internal team. When Chief Morrow stepped into her position they reviewed the programs in place, those planned, and those in transition. Some were going fine, some were scrapped, and others were developed.
Police Chief Morrow made it clear that they are celebrating wins.
BIO
Police Chief Michon Morrow has been a member of the Lincoln Police Department since 1995. She was appointed by Mayor Gaylor Baird as Acting Chief of the department on July 21, 2023 and after eight months of fulfilling the duties of chief in an interim capacity, she was appointed by the Lincoln City Council as Police Chief effective March 19, 2024.
Chief Morrow started her career in the Victim Assistance Unit as a Domestic Violence Advocate before becoming a commissioned officer in December 1997. During her tenure, she has served as Field Training Officer, Domestic Violence Investigator, Duty Commander, and Captain of the Southwest Team, one of the Department’s diverse community-based policing teams.
As an Assistant Chief, she led the Management Services Unit, to include CALEA, Liquor and Keno, Legislation, and Special Projects. She also led the Emergency
Communication Center, Education and Personnel, Internal Affairs, Records, Property and Evidence and Finance. She is passionate about leadership, officer wellness and service to the community. She chaired the Lincoln Police Department Wellness Committee, which she worked to establish in 2012, until 2022. She serves on several boards for non-profit organizations and volunteers in her community on a regular basis. She is also the coordinator and a facilitator for the IACP Leadership in Police Organizations Program for 16 agencies in Eastern Nebraska as well as a National Instructor for the First Line Leadership Program. She is also an Instructor, Content Creator and Podcast moderator for VALOR.
Communication Center, Education and Personnel, Internal Affairs, Records, Property and Evidence and Finance. She is passionate about leadership, officer wellness and service to the community. She chaired the Lincoln Police Department Wellness Committee, which she worked to establish in 2012, until 2022. She serves on several boards for non-profit organizations and volunteers in her community on a regular basis. She is also the coordinator and a facilitator for the IACP Leadership in Police Organizations Program for 16 agencies in Eastern Nebraska as well as a National Instructor for the First Line Leadership Program. She is also an Instructor, Content Creator and Podcast moderator for VALOR.
She holds a Master's Degree in Forensic Science, Behavioral Studies, from Nebraska Wesleyan University and is a recent graduate from the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police. She is married with two adult children.