Patrolling the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office knows it has a unique duty keeping residents and visitors safe when they’re in the hometown of the world’s most visited vacation resort. Master Deputy Sheriff Stanley Murray takes this commitment beyond general department policy – the 19-year veteran makes it his personal duty to keep the city of Orlando safe.

Murray is well respected within the community’s tourist corridor and patrols International Drive and the Walt Disney World area providing crime prevention tips, information and training to homeowner associations and local businesses. In addition to his work on duty, Murray is also very involved in his area through church and volunteer work, which makes him that much more effective in helping the community.

He recognizes that the upcoming Local Works Day, being celebrated by local government employees around the state on Oct. 3, is a great opportunity to showcase how residents and visitors alike benefit from public servants.

“I truly believe there is a calling upon each of us and to answer that calling brings unspeakable joy to people, places and things from which I am able to be a service to,” Master Deputy Murray said.

Service to others is in Murray’s blood. He spent 22 years in the U.S. Navy as a police supervisor and instructor of anti-terrorism techniques, including service in the Gulf and Iraqi wars. With a degree in both Criminal Justice and Theological Studies, Murray is ideally suited to train up-and-coming law enforcement officers. He now coordinates and trains the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Chaplains Unit.

Murrayis the founder and Senior Pastor of the Mt. Zion Tabernacle Christian Church in Orlando. He is also an adjunct instructor at Everest University and volunteers at the Central Florida Job Partnerships, Central Florida Red Cross and Orlando Union Rescue Mission.

Master Deputy Murray’s hard work and dedication to Orange County’s residents and visitors have not gone unnoticed. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the University of Central Florida Dr. John T. Washington Community Service Award and the Metro Orlando Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Blue Indigo Community Service Award.

“The benefit of causing change in a community and watching it actually manifest over time before you is very rewarding,” Murray said. “When engaging in public service, you have to remember that there is no elevation without sacrifice – embrace the challenge!”