Bethel Police Names New Youth Officer

Bethel Police Names New Youth Officer

The Bethel Police Department announced Thursday their appointment of Officer Lynn Morris as their new youth officer.  Chief Jeffrey Finch promoted her to Detective.

Det. Morris will be replacing Officer Ralph DeLuca retired from the Bethel Police Department after serving the Bethel community for 3 decades. While there is no D.A.R.E. program in place after being cut by Chief Finch and the Police Commission, Det. Morris will have a visible presence in the schools, mainly at Johnson and Bethel Middle School.

“I will be interacting with kids during the school day and investigating any criminal and juvenile issues that come up, as well as any child abuse,” Morris said Thursday. She will be visiting the schools mainly on a weekly basis but will be available on a daily basis as needed.

“I will be stationed at the Police Department and visit the schools to say hi to the kids and as needed if they need presentations on topics related to bullying, etc.,” she said.

Since the D.A.R.E. program was cut no new programs have been initiated to replace the anti-drug program. Chief Finch could not be reached for comment.

Det. Morris’ new position as Youth Officer officially begins on Nov. 7^th.  She has been trained in dealing with victims of child sexual assault and has 15 years of on-the –job training in handling juvenile cases.

Morris, a Bethel resident, is married with 2 children in the Bethel Public School System, ages 8 and 10-years-old.