OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WECT) – During the Oak Island Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring recognized Oak Island Police Chief Charlie Morris with a Meritorious Service Award.
The award is one of the highest honors given by the Southport Police Department (SPD). Chief Morris also received an SPD challenge coin and a custom-framed print of the Southport waterfront during the meeting.
The recognition was given for Chief Morris’s assistance during the response to a mass shooting that occurred on Sept. 27 at the American Fish Company.
According to the Town of Oak Island, in his remarks, Chief Coring highlighted the close working relationship between the two departments and praised Chief Morris for his calm leadership and support during the incident. He noted that Chief Morris’s “actions reflect great credit upon himself, his family, and the Oak Island Police Department.”
Chief Morris expressed his gratitude for the honor in a press release from the town and emphasized the importance of regional partnerships:
“Protecting our communities starts with strong relationships and partnerships built long before an incident occurs. In this case, these established relationships with our neighboring agencies is what made such a quick arrest possible — Every day, we work hand-in-hand with fellow first responders throughout the entire area, to strengthen these partnerships and provide exemplary law enforcement services to all of our communities.
Though recent history has reminded us that we can never fully prevent evil from happening, it has also shown who we want standing beside us when facing it.”
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