Sheriff Johnathan Morgan is a North Carolina native. Growing up in a rural community instilled in him the importance of helping others, a work ethic to do what needed to be done, and a respect for his fellow neighbors.
Sheriff Morgan also had that innate call to vigilance and to serve and protect. After graduating from high school, he decided to pursue a career in public service. He began taking classes in Criminal Justice at Asheville-Biltmore Technical Community College in the Buncombe County seat, Asheville. While in school, he got the opportunity to relocate to Cumberland County to complete his Basic Law Enforcement Training at Fayetteville Technical Community College. This move got him one step closer to reaching his goal of serving others and also allowed him to spend more time with his father who had retired from the military and resided in Fayetteville.
Moving to Cumberland County offered many public service opportunities. He was quickly introduced to the fire service and joined Stoney Point Fire Department. His passion for fighting fire led to him serving in a voluntary capacity for almost 20 years with Stoney Point Station 13, Westarea Station 10, and Westarea Station 15.
Sheriff Morgan began his career in law enforcement in 1997. After serving briefly with the Fayetteville Police Department, he joined the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office team where he has served the citizens of Cumberland County over the last 28 years.
Throughout his law enforcement career, Sheriff Morgan has served in various roles which have allowed him to grow as a professional and develop a wide variety of skills. He started his career as a road patrol deputy serving Cumberland County for five years. He loved building relationships with the community and was always eager to serve.
Not one to sit still, he was always looking for ways to help others and also enjoyed going to classes to learn new things. These characteristics lead him back to school, not as a student, but as a School Resource Officer (SRO).
Sheriff Morgan served at Ramsey Street Alternative High School before transitioning to South View High School for two years. During the summer months, he was assigned to work in other sections such as property crimes and civil. He was then promoted to serve as SRO supervisor and over the next six years advanced from Field Training Officer to Section Sergeant, and then to Unit Commander. He led the SRO unit for six years, developing one of the best School Resource Officer programs in North Carolina.
During these years, he had the opportunity to attend many conferences where he continued to learn and grow his leadership skills. He was able to help secure grants which were used to educate students of Cumberland County in conflict resolution and drug resistance. One of his favorite things to do while working in the SRO section was to plan and facilitate the annual youth camp for students in elementary and middle school. He found great joy in interacting with the youth and building positive relationships between children and law enforcement officers.
In 2010, Sheriff Morgan took the next step in his career, advancing to Deputy Operations Commander. As a Captain over the Patrol Division, he oversaw the daily operations of the School Resource Officers as well as the Traffic Control Officers, Motors (the Motorcycle Officers’ Unit), and Community Policing sections for fourteen years. He also assisted in maintaining the Sheriff’s Office Standards for Accreditation by collaborating with divisions throughout the agency in creating and improving policies to positively impact the daily operations of the agency. In this role, he continued to build relationships with other organizations within Cumberland County. He served as a liaison between the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the Cumberland County School System. He also served as a member of the local emergency planning committee which allowed him to collaborate with other community stakeholders in preparing for emergencies impacting our county. In all situations, he used his experience to look ahead and proactively address possible obstacles and enhance the efficiency of response in any situation.
Sheriff Morgan’s dedication and loyalty are clear to those that know him, which led to his appointment as Operations Commander in 2024. In this role, he was in charge of the Operations Division that consists of the Uniform Patrol, Reserves, Community Policing, Support, Motors, Canine Unit (K-9), the Hazardous Device Unit (Bomb Squad), School Resource Officers, Traffic Control Officers, and the Special Response Team (SRT). When Sheriff Wright retired in 2025, he endorsed then Major Morgan to be appointed to fulfill the remainder of his elected term.
During his Law Enforcement Career, Sheriff Morgan has received certifications from the Department of Justice, the State of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Sheriff Training and Standards Commission. He earned the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Law Enforcement Certificates, as well as, the North Carolina Advanced Service Award. Most recently, he completed the FBI LEEDA Trilogy which includes Supervisor Leadership, Command Leadership, and Executive Leadership courses.
Sheriff Morgan’s goal is to lead the Sheriff’s Office into the new era of law enforcement which brings new challenges with recruitment and retention of Deputies. He wants to launch new efforts to attract and keep deputies. He also wants to build community trust through community outreach initiatives and develop partnerships with neighboring agencies and community leaders. Despite the difficulties in law enforcement today, he firmly believes that with dedication, hard work, and collaboration these challenges can be overcome. He wants to work with all citizens to protect, connect, and strengthen Cumberland County for generations to come.
Admin. Assistant – Karen Norris– (910) 321-6782