MONTPELIER — Gov. Phil Scott announced the appointment of Jennifer Morrison as the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety (DPS). She will be the first woman to serve in the role, overseeing the State Police, Vermont Emergency Management, Vermont Crime Information Center, Forensic Lab, Division of Fire Safety and more.
Prior to joining DPS in October 2020 as executive director of policy development and later deputy commissioner, Morrison spent three decades in Vermont’s law enforcement community. She joined the Burlington Police Department as an officer in 1990 and ultimately became deputy chief. In 2013, she accepted the position of chief of the Colchester Police Department, a role she held for the next five years before retiring. In retirement, she worked as a consultant and instructor before returning to the Burlington Police Department in January 2020 as interim police chief for six months.
