Stephanie LeMons 

News Editor 

Sergeant Ken Morris is currently campaigning to become Sherriff for Monroe County in next week’s municipal election on Nov. 5, and he is dedicated to upholding the traditions of the Sheriff Office while also moving it in a progressive direction to keep up with the needs of the county.  

“Monroe County has been my home since 1986. I grew up here. I want to give back to the community that has been here for me my entire life,” said Morris.

When asked why he was compelled to run for Sheriff he said watching the twin towers fall while he was a senior in high school was the catalyst.

He enlisted into the United States Marine Corps, where he served for six years until he was honorably discharged in 2008.  

After his discharge, Morris still felt that need to serve, so in 2009 he applied to the Allentown Police Academy. After graduation, he was hired by the current sheriff, Sheriff Martin in 2011. He was promoted in 2016 to Deputy Sheriff where he then took on the responsibility of hiring and training new deputies and oversee training for the department.

Morris also stated he wanted to educate local youth on gang and drug activity, hoping to further the effort in solving the opioid epidemic affecting Monroe County. 

“There is no question our county has an opioid problem. This issue won’t be solved overnight but we can combat it through education and prevention,” Morris said.  

He also mentioned recently appropriating a few deputies receiving specific training regarding gangs and drug use. They will be tasked with educating children in county schools, which will hopefully lower their likelihood to get involved in gangs and drugs later in life.  

The sergeant also emphasized the prisoner work detail program could also get a lot more use, “Right now we only use the program when the inmates are sentenced to it by a Judge. I would like to use the inmates who were convicted of non-violent crimes to give back to the community by helping clean our roads and bridges on a monthly basis.” 

Morris also expanded on what he finds most rewarding about working in the community, “For me, it’s the intrinsic rewards. Being with the Sheriff’s Office I get to help a lot of people. The position I am I right now, I can get involved with a few local groups and charities. Some of these would include Women’s Resource which raises awareness and helps residents with domestic violence issues. Another is Valor, which helps our local homeless veterans with food and shelter.”

Additionally, he advised voters to vote based on policy, not a party. Morris emphasized the importance of voters studying and researching the candidates, understanding their qualifications for the specific positions that individuals are running for, as opposed to voting down-ticket for either the Democrat or Republican side.

Morris is running on the Republican ticket and is the only candidate with Act 2 certification, which is state-mandated training necessary to fulfill the Sheriff position requirement.

Email Stephanie at: 

slemons@live.esu.edu