Chief Morrison honored as he retires

Gravette police chief retiring after more than 21 years at head of Gravette Department

Gravette Mayor Byron Warren surprised retiring Police Chief Trent Morrison by presenting him the Glock 40 semi-automatic pistol which was the officer’s first weapon issued him by the Gravette Police Department. It was engraved with Morrison's name and the dates of his service — June 1991-November 2012.
Gravette Mayor Byron Warren surprised retiring Police Chief Trent Morrison by presenting him the Glock 40 semi-automatic pistol which was the officer’s first weapon issued him by the Gravette Police Department. It was engraved with Morrison's name and the dates of his service — June 1991-November 2012.

— Dozens of people converged on the Gravette Police Station last Friday to meet, greet and wish Trent Morrison well on his retirement which begins Wednesday of this week.

The reception was also attended by many local and area law enforcement officials to honor their fellow officer who is ending more than 21 years as chief of the Gravette department.

Trent, 50, has been in law enforcement 29 years, all of it served in Benton County. He began his career in 1983 at Sulphur Springs, where he served until February of 1985 when he became a member of the Benton County Sheriff’s Department. Five years later he served more than a year with the Bella Vista department, which at that time was a division of the County Sheriff’s Department.

He began his long career of service to Gravette and the area in June of the following year, and it was because of that stellar service that his reception was filledwith many expressions of thanks and plaudits.

Ever humble and thankful, Trent said his tenure has been “a joy to work with lots of good law enforcement officers and for the several mayors and others who have helped build the police department.

“They (fellow officers) are some of the best law enforcement officers I have ever known,” he said.

Morrison said he did not believe his career path would end up in law enforcement. He was a boxer. A good one. In fact he was ranked in the top 10 in the Golden Gloves middleweight division in 1982.

Boxing ran in the Morrison family. His nephew Tommy was a major contender in national boxing circles and he co-starred in one of the popular “Rocky” movies.

Besides boxing, Trent is a third level black belt in karate who has taught the skill at Decatur and Gravette and as an instructor for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Trent is the son of the late Wayne and Esther Morrison andgrew up in the Decatur, Sulphur Springs and Gravette areas. In fact, he arrived on the scene when Dr. Billy Hall delivered himin the original Gravette Medical Center Hospital.

A Major Catastrophe

His life changed dramatically when the family home at Decatur burned, destroying everything. Trent dropped out of school and began working to help the family financially.

He eventually bought a car and things just didn’t work out for him to return to the classroom as he pursued his love of boxing.

He said Pamela, his wife of 29 years, also turned his life around as she frowned on boxing. She is a long-time employee in the Walmart home office. Their eldest son, Kyle, is a dispatcher with 911 in Benton County and daughter Hailey is a sophomore at N.W. Arkansas Community College and will soon be attending the University of Arkansas.

Morrison credits a longtime friend and former Gravette police chief, Charlie Crabtree, with encouragement and mentoring.

“He (Crabtree) was very instrumental when he took me under his wing. He helped teach me the ropes and all aspects of law enforcement,” Morrison said.

The chief has been involved in countless crime investigations while servingthe citizenry and has received numerous accolades. One was from then-sheriff Roy Farber, whose letter of commendation cited Morrison for “preserving the life” of a victim trapped during an accident involving the lady’s vehicle and a tractortrailer rig.

“At great risk to your own personal safety, you proceeded to take life saving action,” Farber wrote. “You are an asset to the profession, and we at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office are proud to be associated with you.”

At another time, he waded through chest-high water during a flood of Little Sugar Creek in Bella Vista and carried two people to safety. This earned Morrison a letter of commendation from the Bella Vista Village Crime Watch, a plaque from the POA board and a letter of thanks from the Oregon couple he rescued.

Even as Morrison begins retirement, his “vacation” from work is expected to be short. He said he is expecting to begin employment with the Western District Court, U.S. Marshal Judicial Security Division. He has done contract work with the service for several years but said his new employment will basically be serving in judicial chambers in the district offices located inFayetteville, Fort Smith and Harrison.

Gravette Mayor Byron Warren said a committee will investigate andinterview applicants to fill the chief’s position. In the meantime, Mayor Warren is appointing Lt. David Smith as interim chief.

News, Pages 1 on 10/31/2012