Officer Hunter Morgan Receives Optimist Club Award

The Scenic Chattanooga Optimist Club honored Chattanooga Police Department Officer Hunter Morgan on Friday during the club’s annual Respect for Law program held in the Broad Street Grille at the Chattanoogan Hotel.   Lt. Jonathan Bryant nominated Officer Morgan to Chief of Police Fred Fletcher.

Officer Morgan has been with the department since November 2013. After graduating the Police Academy, he has been assigned to Sector III- George Zone and had previously been assigned to evening and midnight shifts. He is currently assigned to the recently reinstated Power Shift to focus on zone issues and hot spots that hinder the quality of life for the residents and visitors to George Zone.  

Officer Morgan has taken a special interest in the lodging facilities within George Zone and the illicit activities that occur there. Due to this, he has made numerous narcotics, weapons and other felony arrests, some of which include validated gang members, in and around these locations. 

Also, as mentioned regarding the gang arrests, he is a part of ensuring the Violence Reduction Initiative is carried out in his daily contact with gang members and a heightened awareness to particular sets/groups during enforcement actions.

Earlier this year, Officer Morgan was assigned to a special assignment to focus on property crimes (burglaries and larcenies). Along with other officers, they reduced the property crimes during this time in the affected areas of George 5 and 6 districts. One of the segments that reduced these occurrences was his thinking in pursuing individuals who had outstanding warrants for property crimes related offenses. He gridded the focus areas and determined who had these warrants and apprehended those individuals with few, if any, incidents.  

As recently as two weeks ago, Officer Morgan discovered a vehicle used in several commercial burglaries in the Sector III area. His information led burglary investigators to clear eight burglaries, recover thousands of dollars of stolen property and arrest the suspect, Terry Highfield.  

This is what Sgt.  Sullivan who coordinated the earlier special assignment said about Officer Morgan regarding this special assignment:  “Another point I would like to mention is the performance shown by Officer Hunter Morgan. Officer Hunter is new to the department and is considered a “rookie” by definition. I believe it is fair to say that if all rookies are as productive and motivated as Officer Hunter then we are all in good shape. He has made several arrests in the identified focus area resulting in guns and narcotics being removed from the area. He has been successful in identifying and adding suspects to the Gang Validation List and introducing them to the VRI program. His dedication and outstanding performance has made a great impact on public safety in the area and has aided in the success of this assignment.” 

Officer Morgan is a communicator and contacts all individuals in his zone, regardless of their background, in a professional and engaging demeanor. He is well liked by all of his peers and supervisors who have had the good fortune of supervising this outstanding officer, said officials. 

The Club’s “Respect for Law Program” was initiated in 1965 by Past Optimist International President Carl Bowen and former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.  The program was adopted locally because of the club’s belief that it is important for the community to recognize the positive attributes of local law enforcement personnel who serve and protect the citizens of Chattanooga and Hamilton County. 

Theo Laughner, president of the Scenic Chattanooga Optimist Club, stated “For over 20 years our Optimist Club has participated in the Optimist International Respect for Law Program.  As a community, we are deeply indebted to those who choose a career of service in law enforcement.  These men and women serve as the front line of protection for all of us, and we are proud to honor them.” 

Gary Behler, Hamilton County Juvenile Court clerk and chairman of the Scenic Chattanooga Optimist Club Respect for Law Program added, “It has been my honor and privilege to serve as chairman of the Respect for Law Program for the past 15 years.  In light of the events nationwide this past year, we should all be especially aware of what a challenging and incredibly difficult job our law enforcement officers face every day.  All of us owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service.” 

Respect for Law is one of the organization’s most popular programs, with more than 1,500 clubs participating annually. Carrying the motto “Bringing out the Best in Kids,” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about Optimist International, please call 314.371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at www.optimist.org.  For information on the local Scenic Chattanooga Optimist Club contact Club President Theo Laughner at tllaughner@hotmail.com. 

Members of the Chattanooga Police Department present for the award luncheon included Chief of Police Fred Fletcher and members of his Executive and Command staff, including Captain McPherson, Chief Maffett, Chief Arnold and Chief Tucker. 

Family members of the honoree present included Officer Morgan’s wife, Jessica; son, Luke; mother, Traci; and his father, Robert.