This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sgt. James Morton spent five years on the Unified Police Department Metro Gang Unit. So do any cases stand out?
"Not really," he said.
When asked to describe what he did on the unit, Morton made it all sound procedural or routine.
Morton usually worked at night. He responded to reports of crimes committed by gang members. A lot of what he did was intelligence driven.
But even if it was just routine police work, it didn't go unnoticed. On Tuesday, Morton, 36, received a national award.
The International Footprint Association, which fosters relationships between law enforcement and citizens, has named Morton its law enforcement officer of the year.
The president of the Footprint Association's Utah chapter, Riverton Police Chief Rosie Rivera, presented Morton with a plaque at a luncheon Tuesday at Totem's Steakhouse in Salt Lake City.
The Utah chapter named Morton its officer of the year in May and nominated him for the national award.
"We chose someone that was a well-rounded officer," Rivera told attendees at the luncheon.
Rivera read Morton's accomplishments on the gang unit in 2014:
• 128 felony arrests
• More than $100,000 in assets seized
• 24 firearms seized
• 46 search warrants written
Morton was raised in Taylorsville. He said the police motorcycle troops he'd see in the Pioneer Day parades gave him an interest in policing. Friends who were firefighters tried to recruit him there.
"I wanted something with a little more excitement to it," Morton said.
Morton started as an officer at the Salt Lake County jail in 2001 and said he became intrigued by the gang members he encountered there. Morton became a deputy on patrol in 2003. In 2005, he started as an officer with Taylorsville's police department.
In 2010, the gang unit had an opening. Morton applied and was accepted. Taylorsville joined UPD in 2012.
In announcing the award in May, the Utah chapter described some of Morton's work. In one investigation, Morton worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate a gang called Varrio Loco Town and drug dealing that was happening out of one member's business.
When a La Raza gang member posted photos of himself holding two AR-15 type rifles on social media, Morton investigated and obtained a search warrant. At the gang member's residence, according to the Utah chapter, police found 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana, ammunition, a shotgun and a firearm hidden inside a wall. The gang member was arrested on suspicion of several felony charges.
Morton learned on Friday he had received the national award from the Footprint Association.
"It came as a surprise and shock," he said.
Morton and his wife, Marty Morton, have three children. In April, Morton was promoted to sergeant and transferred to patrol in Midvale. He said he would eventually like to return to the gang unit as a supervisor.
"Hopefully, I can mentor some young officers," Morton said.
Twitter: @natecarlisle