By Tammy Kilby

For the Times

DARLINGTON — Jason King, Darlington Chief of Police, resigned from his post before the end of 2023. His last day on duty on Friday, Dec. 29. 

King, a 1993 graduate of Darlington High School, has lived and worked in Darlington all of his life. 

On his last day, community members phoned and stopped by the Darlington Municipal building congratulating and thanking the Chief for his 30 years of service. It was a bustle of attention King didn’t expect to receive. 

The number one question on everyone’s mind was his reason for leaving his post as the Chief of Police. King responded kindly. 

“Simply put, it’s time for a change. Three decades is a long time. Research shows the average American holds 12 jobs in that length of time. I have held one,” King said. “I have proudly sacrificed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears serving Darlington my entire adult life as a police officer and EMT and am ready to pass the torch on to a new leader. I am looking forward to what I believe will be a less demanding and less stressful job that will make it possible to spend more time with family and friends.”

King, who started training with the Darlington Police Department (DPD) in the fall of 1993, was only 18 years old and a Police Science student at Madison Area Technical College (MATC). 

“My first patrol shift was April 1, 1994,” King said. “I was the recipient of a federal work-study grant at the time, which gave me the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while attending college.”

King graduated from MATC with an associate degree in Police Science in May of 1995. While at MATC, he developed a passion for learning and decided to further his education at Mount Senario College in Madison. King acquired his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in May of 1997. 

King’s passion for learning best practices in policing never waned. 

“I acquired thousands of hours of specialized training during my 30 years at DPD, and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from UW-Platteville,” King said. 

The idea of joining law enforcement came early on in King’s life. 

“I decided I wanted to be a police officer when I was in first grade. I was a student at Willow Springs school and recall a sheriff’s deputy visiting to tell us about his job and show us his squad car. I found it fascinating and became hooked on the idea of one day becoming a police officer,” King said. “A lot of young children say they want to be a police officer or firefighter when they grow up, but few ever do. For me, though, I was determined to make it happen.”

King opted to police his hometown instead of moving on to an unfamiliar community, as most people going into the profession of police-work do. 

“I acknowledge it has come with its unique challenges; however, at the end of the day, what we do in policing is mostly community service — helping people. I can’t think of any place I’d rather do that than my hometown,” he said.

King said he has felt the support of the Darlington community throughout the years; however, the support of family has meant everything to him. 

“My parents were always supportive of the idea and never discouraged me,” King said. “I was a police officer already by the time I met my wife, Tammy, so she didn’t have much choice in the matter. She and our three children have been a constant source of love and support for me. It’s not always easy being the family member of a police officer, but they made it look easy. I am blessed.” 

King will move on to other employment that serves neighboring communities. Up  next for King is supervising the security services at SSM Health Monroe Hospital and its other regional clinic locations in Green and Jo Daviess counties. 

King said he will miss helping the people of Darlington during their time of need. 

“I have bore witness to a lot of pain and suffering in my hometown over these past three decades. Helping ease the pain in whatever way possible has been a humbling and gratifying experience,” he said.

King will continue to volunteer in his community: as an EMT, at the Darlington American Legion, and in his church whenever possible.