Penn State Police Chief Resigning

Penn State Police Chief Keith Morris is resigning, effective Thursday, after just two years in the role.

Morris, who tendered his resignation in January, is leaving to “pursue other professional opportunities” and spend more time with his family.

“As a Penn State alumnus, I have truly valued my time at Penn State, and while this is the right decision for me, I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had to serve as a law enforcement leader at Penn State, a world-class institution with a police agency known for its professionalism,” Morris said in a release.

After serving as the chief of the Allentown Police Department, Morris was appointed chief of police at University Park in 2017. He also served on university president Eric Barron’s Greek-life response team.

Morris oversaw 22 campuses and led about 50 sworn officers as chief of police operations, a position he assumed in 2018. The university has launched a nation-wide search for his successor. 

“I understand why Keith has made this difficult decision, and I’m grateful for the contributions and leadership he has provided the department over the last two years,” Charlie Noffsinger, assistant vice president for university police and public safety, said in a release.

Individual units of University Police across Penn State’s campuses merged into one cohesive department in 2017, which is currently headed by Noffsinger. Morris’ resignation comes shortly after the union for Penn State police expressed a “vote of no confidence” in Noffsinger last fall, but the university has remained supportive of his leadership.

That came in the midst of contract negotiations between Penn State University Police Officer’s Association and the university.  A new contract has not yet been finalized,

Penn State police is divided into six districts in Pennsylvania: northwest, southwest, central, southeast, northeast and University Park, each led by a district commander. During the search for a new chief, all district commanders will report to Noffsinger.

While Morris oversaw all six districts, Deputy Chief Tom Sowerby is commander of the University Park police station and remains in that role.