A familiar face from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has returned to Goleta, this time as the head of the Police Department. 

For the past six weeks, Lt. Jarrett Morris has been serving as the city’s newest chief of police services, overseeing the Goleta Police Department, including the Goleta Valley, with a motor traffic unit and two community resource deputies.

Morris is no stranger to Goleta, having once served as a deputy there from 2008 to 2010 before serving as a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office.

He said the city has evolved so much both with crime and housing developments since the last time he served the area. 

“We had more gang violence when I was a younger deputy than we do now, which I think is a credit to the Sheriff’s Office and the Police Department,” he said, “especially in the Old Town areas of Goleta.”

While having decades of law enforcement experience, one memory from Morris’ early career sticks with him, reminding him to be humble. 

“When I was working in the jail, I had never really been exposed to the criminal element and dealing with that population of society,” he said. “I was actually pulled in by a gang member in the jail and he told me, you can’t just come in here and think you are in charge.

“When he told me that, it sunk down deep.”

Now that he is back in Goleta, Morris said he wants to focus on addressing driving under the influence, distracted driving, parking, and vehicle and pedestrian collisions. He said those issues are important to the Goleta City Council.

“But one of my main focuses is continuing to keep that violent crime number down,” Morris said. “Obviously, it is impossible to completely get rid of it completely.”

He said he is still nailing down a plan to keep those numbers low as he gets adjusted to the role and gets a “full grasp of the numbers, problem areas and the way we are doing business.”

Morris also pledged to embed himself in the community.

“One of the areas where we can see improvement is the chief going out and going to those community events and the chief being responsive to the community,” he said. 

He said Goleta deserves a chief of police who is focused on the city, not also being pulled into other areas of the county, which comes with being a part of the Sheriff’s Office.

“Because we are a part of the Sheriff’s Office, we are kind of doing a dual job, so though I am the chief of police services for the city, I am also the bureau chief for the Goleta Valley, and I am handling other county areas, too,” Morris said. 

Being embedded into the community could also mean having tough conversations with residents, especially regarding rising fears surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

“I am not looking to avoid those conversations,” he said.

Morris said that in the past, he has given presentations to Hispanic community groups in an effort to curb gang violence and activity. He said he believes those experiences equip him with the tools to connect with community members. 

The Goleta City Council formally introduced Morris at Tuesday’s meeting and bid farewell to Lt. Frank Vasquez, who served as the chief of police for more than a year. 

“Closing the door and opening a window,” Goleta City Manager Robert Nisbet said. 

Nisbet said he is excited for Morris to take over the role and applauded Vasquez for his service with the city. 

He said Vasquez is an example of the quality of personnel the city gets from the Sheriff’s Office, including Morris. 

“We are in one of the safest cities in the state, if not the country, and I would just like to keep it that way,” Morris said.