The School Resource Officer fired over his communications with a student at Bryan County High School has been identified.
TheGeorgiaVirtue.com identified the officer, who was employed with the Pembroke Police Department and was on rotation as part of a contract with the Bryan County School System.
On October 26, the City of Pembroke released a statement acknowledging that a termination had occurred. The city said that it was contacted on October 23 by the school system regarding “communication with a high school student that was inconsistent with his role as a SRO.” The officer was placed on administrative leave the same day, pending an investigation, and was fired the following day.
In an unusual move, both the Bryan County School System and the Pembroke Police Department said they would not be releasing the name of the officer. As a result, TheGeorgiaVirtue.com obtained rosters of the Pembroke Police Department employees from two different dates, one before the press release and one after the press release to compare employee names.
The roster indicated that Sergeant Norman Harvey was listed as “Inactive” as of October 24, 2023.
TheGeorgiaVirtue.com then filed an Open Records Request for the complete personnel file, which was provided by the City of Pembroke.
Personnel File of Harvey
Harvey’s personnel file includes a Georgia Department of Labor Separation Notice with a termination date of 10/24/2023. The reason for separation is listed as ‘Involuntary termination’ and is signed by the Deputy City Clerk.
The file also indicates Harvey began working in Pembroke in February 2018 after working at the Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department from December 2007 to January 2018. Harvey’s career in law enforcement in the state of Georgia, according to his POST record, began in 2008. Before that, he served in the military for 26 years and attained the rank of E7/SFC.
Harvey left Savannah PD on his own accord. There was a single disciplinary action in his file due to Harvey sending an in-custody woman to the hospital without an escort. Harvey reportedly located a woman with a warrant and contacted the agency with the warrant to tell them to pick up the female at the hospital.
According to the personnel file, when Harvey applied at Pembroke PD, he listed ‘the media’ and ‘public opinion’ as the most pressing issues facing policing and in areas needing improvement, Harvey said he needed to be ‘more assertive.’ Harvey was promoted to Sergeant in 2022. His personnel file notes indicate that Harvey did not actually want to be a Sergeant and told administrators that he was ‘taking one for the team.’
The Pembroke file showed no disciplinary actions taken against Harvey while he was employed at Pembroke, other than his termination.
According to the City of Pembroke, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to conduct an independent investigation.
