At 2 p.m. March 19 in Miller Chapel, community organizer Pamela Smith and Police Captain Rick Morrison, supervisor of the Roanoke Police Department Community Response team, will give a presentation “Bridging Communities” on the Black Lives Matter movement and peaceful community collaboration and activism. Smith and Morrison will then lead a discussion on building local partnerships based on respect and communication and how to get involved in community work.
Morrison has been with the Roanoke Police Department for 19 years, serving with many different duties as he rose through the ranks to captain. After his promotion to captain in 2014, he became responsible for overseeing the Criminal Investigations Bureau, Records Unit, and Police Training Academy. Morrison also supervises the Community Response Team, working closely with community leaders. He holds several specialized certifications and teaches law enforcement courses for Benchmark Professional Seminars and the Virginia Chiefs of Police Foundation. He is pursuing a degree in criminal justice from Liberty University and lives in Roanoke.
As a community organizer, Smith focuses on giving a voice to those who lack a platform from which to advocate for themselves. Her activities include coordinating with various community outreach organizations and developing and maintaining dialogue between citizens, the Roanoke Police Department, and city officials. Smith is an activist for the black community and also for economic, environmental, social, and political justice. She earned a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology and lives in the Roanoke valley.
The event is hosted by MBU’s Criminal Justice Club and Honor Society.