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“One day, they will date, and they have to understand that there are red flags when they enter relationships,” noted King, who also engages in parental out- reach on vital information that may alert guardians if their child is in a harmful re- lationship.
King’s efforts working with the com- munity make it clear that this officer will stop at nothing to safeguard the wellbeing of young people and at-risk and families. During the holidays, King can be found driving around neighborhoods handing out Thanksgiving meals and distributing gifts for under the tree. When spring break closes schools, King is there, partnering with her supporters Lerner & Rowe Gives Back and Disparti Law Group to organize week-long activity camps that become a safe haven for children who have nowhere else to go. She’s the organizer of peace
rallies, clothing drives and community meetings.
It’s no wonder that King has become a familiar, trusted face in multiple neigh- borhoods, from Englewood to Back of the Yards to Davis Square – all the way to Chi- natown. The response she receives driving through town is a clear indicator of the positive changes devoted community po- licing can effect.
“There’s so much misconceptions about the police,” King stressed. “We’re taking them out of the community when some kids haven’t even been downtown. That plays a big part in their lives. Now when I drive through these neighbor- hoods, I get a ‘Hi,’ opposed to a finger put up or a negative look.”
If King’s resume isn’t convincing enough, over the years she’s earned doz- ens of awards and honorable mentions,
including the William M.G. Toms Award for Community Service in 2007, Cook County Crime Stoppers Community Ser- vice Award in 2015 and the Phi Lambda Sorority Inc. African American Women Hero Generations Award in 2018 – just to name a few.
Details of Officer King’s steadfast com- munity commitment could fill a book. Against a landscape where extraordinary policing is hardly given enough recog- nition, there truly is no way to refute her widespread impact. She says that if she could save just one life, she’d be satisfied, but her extraordinary work on the Chica- go Police force has saved many more.
“I like to say, I didn’t know why I be- came the police, but I know why now,” ex- plained King. And her work will continue to change the lives of Chicago’s youngest and most impressionable citizens.
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