September 25, 2024 - Students at Normal Park Upper took part in an engaging presentation for their teacher Matty Hardy's Career Exploration class, which centered around law, public safety, and security.
The presentation included a hands-on activity where students acted as investigators to solve a mock crime scene, complete with how to ask for evidence from the crime lab. They were split up into groups, investigated a taped-off crime scene, interviewed “witnesses” to the crime, and then were able to gather information about the various pieces of evidence by submitting a request to the crime lab for details about each item they had questions about. Hardy praised Deputy Morrow’s efforts, saying, “He went above and beyond to plan such an engaging and unforgettable learning experience. My students were fully engaged and continued to discuss the activity in the days following.”
Invited by Hardy to initially do a presentation on his job, Deputy Ian Morrow, a dedicated School Resource Deputy (SRD), wanted to demonstrate to the kids that there is a lot more to being in law enforcement than what they see on TV or in the news. The investigation parts are the most in-depth and important.“I wanted to show them that there’s so much more going on in the background than just the parts the kids see in the media.” he said. He also taught them that the most important tools he uses every day are a pen and paper for taking notes, not just the typical police equipment we might think of first.
Planning the activity came with its challenges. Deputy Morrow had to anticipate and answer surprising questions from students. He also ran into issues when it came to lesson planning, which is where Ms. Hardy stepped in. She supported the effort by creating a flowchart to guide the investigation for the kids, providing them a prompt to format how they would turn in the final guess of the culprit, and coordinating with other teachers to play different roles in the scenario. Morrow adds, “I am lucky to work with teachers like Matty Hardy who are committed to providing meaningful learning experiences.”
In his role as an SRD, Deputy Morrow wears many hats, focusing on the safety and security of students while also acting as a mentor. He strives to establish trust with students, encouraging them to feel comfortable approaching him in any situation without fear.
Deputy Morrow is no stranger to the classroom, this is his second year as a School Resource Deputy at Normal Park and he worked as a patrol officer for 4 years before that. He gets into the classes at Normal Park at least 8 times a month and gives presentations about who he is, including showing himself outside of his Sheriff’s Deputy uniform. His other presentation topics include when and how to call 911, bullying, and being a positive influence. Deputy Morrow is also looking forward to instructing and graduating the inaugural Normal Park D.A.R.E. Class of 2024 starting next semester.