There is much debate over whether or not law enforcement officers should be present in a school setting.
Especially, in a school with younger children where violence and safety aren’t critical issues.
While school resource officer horror stories stick out prominently in our minds, they should never overshadow the service and dedication officers who value public safety bring to our communities.
School resource officers like Officer Chris Morrison have heart and enrich the lives of the students they interact with.
When Morrison, a former teacher, came across a struggling little girl who has autism she decided to help brighten her day.
Her act of kindness was captured on video by teachers from the Santa Rosa, California school. And that video has now gone viral.
The girl, a middle school student who is in a class for students with moderate to severe disabilities, was clutching her Kermit the Frog stuffed animal while standing beside the door.
“She was just having hard time transitioning from the hallway to outside,” her teacher, Meaghan King, who took the video, told ABC News. “Transitions are tough.”
The little girl wouldn’t budge and had been in the same spot for over an hour.
Nothing worked until Morrison came along.
“Officer Morrison happen to be walking by and without any prompting and not realizing what was happening, we turned around to see her and Raquel, and then she broke out into song,” King told KTVU.
Morrison began singing Kermit’s famous 1979 classic “The Rainbow Connection.”
You can see the little girl’s demeanor almost immediately ease up.
She then started to wave Kermitt’s hand at Morrison in the most adorable fashion ever.
“Did you know Kermit sings this song?” Morrison asked.
King and Assistant Principal Jessica Romero became emotional watching the act.
You can hear them say, “I’m gonna cry” in the video’s background.
But this kind of thing isn’t anything out of the ordinary for Morrison. She’s always this cool.
“She’s an amazing individual. This is what she is. This is her true heart. To her it was not a big deal. With my students and especially special ed, having an authority figure, she helps them understand that she is a safe person they can go to and can approach,” King said. “Being in uniform and seeing her [police] weapon, they can get nervous and it’s a lot for them to process, but her demeanor is really nice and welcoming and helps bridge that gap.”
Morrison said she saw the teacher struggling with her student and just did what officers normally do: help.
“Her teacher was very patiently helping the student to make the transition of indoors to out,” Morrison said. “I can’t really say why I started to sing to her, but as I did it seemed it was connecting with her and helping her to relax a little. So, I kept singing.”
Morrison worked with at-risk students as a teacher in Los Angeles for 12 years before joining the Santa Rosa Police Department where she’s been for the last 18 years.
“This type of thing is very typical of Chris Morrison,” Santa Rosa Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Jeneane Kucker said “She is a kind soul and is wonderful with the kids. Chris goes above and beyond to help, especially a child having a tough time. She has been known for making songs up here at the department and has a great singing voice!”
Morrison said she believes that “music is a common denominator for us all” and that she got just as much out of it as the little girl did.
“That young lady’s smile made my day, made my week, made my year just. Absolutely a moment I won’t forget and reminds me why I’m in the profession I’m in,” said Morrison.
You can watch the touching moment in the video below!
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