AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department announced Thursday it has hired Heather Morris as interim deputy chief of police.
Morris has spent 22 years in law enforcement, beginning her career in 1999 with the Houston Police Department.
"I've always believed in working with the community and being a true representative of the people we [as a police department] serve every day, no matter my title. The idea of coming to Aurora and helping move the department forward, having a hand in the positive steps we're taking, I knew I wanted to be part of that," Morris said in a statement. "I plan on working with the community and finding ways to bring them into our processes so everyone understands our department and the good work we're doing."
Morris retired from the Houston Police Department in 2021 as an assistant chief. She also spent time as deputy chief of the Miami Police Department.
Morris graduated from the University of Houston in 1998 with a bachelor of science in criminal justice, and later earned her masters of arts in criminology.
Her top priorities are community engagement and transparency, according to the department's announcement.
"Deputy Chief Morris is a seasoned police executive who has a record of sustained excellence throughout her over two decades of service. She is a high energy, ethical professional, and is committed to organizational excellence. I have witnessed, first-hand, the positive impact she has had on the teams she led," Chief Art Acevedo said in a statement.
Morris will be sworn in as interim deputy chief on April 3.
