HAIL TO THE CHIEF
City of Pawtucket honors retiring Chief of Police Paul King
PAWTUCKET — “He was my chief, he was your chief, he was one of the best chiefs the city of Pawtucket has ever had.”
With those words, Mayor Donald R. Grebien said what many packed into the Council Chambers at City Hall were thinking about outgoing Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King, who retired on Friday after a decorated 35-year career serving the city.
Family, friends, fellow law enforcement officers, and elected officials filled the third-floor chambers to capacity during King’s retirement ceremony, with many spilling out into the hallway.
King joined the Pawtucket Police Department on March 12, 1982 and over his 35 years, he has served in patrol, investigative, and administrative capacities. He also served as the major in charge of the department’s Administrative Division, overseeing budgetary matters, physical plant and fleet operations. A Bryant College graduate with a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Anna Maria College, King in November 2010 was promoted to chief, a title he held until his retirement on Friday.
Grebien said that he was present at King’s retirement with mixed emotions, knowing that the retiring chief would be missed by the city and its police, but also that “our friend and colleague and chief is retiring to move on.”
While Grebien wasn’t the mayor when King was promoted to chief in November 2010, he said that in his six-plus years at City Hall, he’s learned how challenging it can be as a public safety official. He said that he’s watched King and his officers “step up time and again in the face of tragedy and challenges.”
The mayor also said that he grew to know King on a personal level and knew what an honor it was for him to follow in the footsteps of his father, retired former Pawtucket Police Chief Ted King.
“The true Paul King is someone who is a friend to all of us. Over my six years as mayor … I had a lot of support,” Grebien said. “Paul was a mentor, someone I leaned on for support, and I want to thank you once again for that.”
The mayor also offered King a series of parting gifts: a toy car emblematic of his routine requests for funding for a new fleet of police vehicles, a baseball symbolic of his affection for the Pawtucket Red Sox – “when they move over to Apex, God willing, we’ll make you head of security,” the mayor joked – and a key to the city, showcasing his dedication to public service.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said that it was King who launched him on his political career. The evidence he used to demonstrate that was a framed picture – a screenshot from his first television ad in his first political race when he was running for Attorney General – of himself and King.
“Paul launched me then, he has been a friend throughout,” Whitehouse said. “When I succeeded and won office as Attorney General, it was terrific to work with Paul in Pawtucket. I worked with him as U.S. Attorney, and I’ve admired his calm, capable, level-headed and effective way he’s handled being chief of police.”
Director of Administration Antonio J. Pires said that he and King have worked well together, blending King’s knowl- edge of law enforcement and Pires’ knowledge of day-to-day management.
“He’s been the chief of what I have come to understand is an outstanding department,” Pires said. “I think they’re the best in the state. Paul King has an awful lot to do with that. I thank Paul for making this department one of the very best in the country.”
Pires also said that King is not unlike most boys who grew up admiring their fathers, saying “he obviously chose law enforcement because he had a father who had done so as well.
King’s father Ted was sworn into the Pawtucket Police Department in July 1947 and was a member of the department when Paul was sworn in 35 years later, meaning that for 70 years in Pawtucket, there has been a member of the King family in Pawtucket Police.
“That’s an outstanding tribute to Paul and his father. They’ve kept this community safe, they are the only father and son team to be chiefs of this department and they’re both deserving of our admiration,” Pires said. “I will miss (Paul) terribly, we are going to miss him greatly, he has left a command staff and a department that will carry on the great work he has done and I want to wish him well.”
King took to the podium inside the full chamber to say he was “truly honored and humbled” by the turnout. He said that he has come to a handful of officer retirement ceremonies over his 35 years and the outgoing officers always say two things: you’ll know when it’s time to go and when you look back over your career, it’s gone in the blink of an eye. He agreed with both sentiments. “Some days I thought would never end, a few more I prayed would end, but it has been a great career,” King said. “I’ve met a lot of people, made a lot of friends, worked with some fantastic people. I’d really like to say I am truly humbled by this outpouring.”
King added that while he’ll be able to spend a little more time with his family, he told the officers in attendance that if they ever need anything from him, to not hesitate to reach out.
Serving in King’s stead will be Maj. Tina Goncalves, who will be promoted to acting chief, making her the first female police chief in Pawtucket history.