New PVCC Police Chief Wants to Make a Difference

Veronica Reyes, staff writer

Many students struggle with difficult circumstances, disappointment, or a lack of optimism per academic and social pressure. PVCC’s new police chief believes that finding and setting the example of a positive attitude will make students successful. Throughout his life, PVCC Police Chief Carl A. Murray Jr. faced difficult times with strong determination to better the community.

Chief Murray was raised in Newport News, Virginia, in a single-parent family. “My mother was my backbone…she encouraged me to be anything as long as I put my mind to it,” Murray said. He credits much of his success to the strong support system of the women in his family as well as his uncles and those he knew.

When asked if he ever gained interest in police work before leaving high school, he explained that he had never thought about it, stating, “I never saw a police officer growing up.” In school, Murray was interested in sports and academics. After high school, he worked as a long-term substitute teacher and received his certification to become a regular, full-time teacher while working a retail job at night. To Murray, everything was going fine until suddenly things changed.

Murray was on his way to becoming a school principal, but when a student decided to slash his tires, his plans were altered. When a city police officer came to investigate and file the report, Murray felt as if “he didn’t really care.” His first direct interaction with a police officer made him think about how the police are expected to “make a difference in the community.” Murray to this day does not want anyone to have a similar, negative experience to his. 

He applied to Virginia Commonwealth University, where he studied Criminal Justice, and from there, he is now completing his Master’s at Virginia State University. For 13 years, Murray served for the Richmond Police Department and spent five of those years as a school resource officer for elementary through high school grade levels. 

“I understand that there’s distrust,” Murray explained about the stereotype of police officers. However, he said, “it is not the people’s job to get over the distrust, it is the police’s responsibility.” Since he first began serving as a police officer, Murray remains committed to putting his beliefs into action.

From grade schools to Virginia State, he always remained active with the student body. As an officer at VA State, he spoke at freshman orientations, athletic events, and tried to attend the school’s events and carnival. He shared videos and photographs with some of the students and athletes that he continues to maintain good relationships with today. 

Murray explained that people may always believe that police are “hard and tough,” but instead he wants to impress on people that “we are human beings…we laugh, we dance, we can be down-to-Earth.”

When not in his office, Murray can be seen on campus “dunking” over students on the basketball court, stated PVCC student Carlos Martin.  Off campus, Chief Murray spends his time with his wife and children. Excitedly, he also shared that he enjoys playing golf and is a fan of R&B group, New Edition. 

Chief Murray maintains an open-door policy at PVCC. He wants the PVCC Police Department to be “more seen, more approachable,” for students and faculty. Students are invited to come and talk to him with their concerns, which do not always have to be police related.

“Surround yourself with those who want you to be successful,” said Murray. To be successful, Murray believes that students need to have a good support system which can be made up by one person to several other mentors. For the chief, these include his mother and fellow police chiefs. For students, mentors can include himself, other police officers, faculty, or classmates. For this reason, Chief Murray also expressed interest in beginning a leadership program for students to develop and sharpen their skills to be effective leaders in the community.

“You have to be intentionable, you have to be a go-getter,” he said. He urges students to take “initiative.” Chief Murray personally made the goal of making a difference in the community by becoming a police officer. Murray is looking to add more positivity on campus and wants for the PVCC Police Department to reach out and be there for students. 

His motto for facing challenges is “Don’t tell me what we can’t do, tell me what we can do.”