Veteran ClintonPD officer retires

The city of Clinton bid farewell to one of its longtime servants, the police department’s Lt. Robbie King, who recently hung up his badge after nearly 30 years on the force.

“It is my great honor to stand before you today to recognize the service and dedication of Lt. Robbie King as he retires from the Clinton Police Department,” Police Chief Anthony Davis said.

Those were the opening words expressed at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, where King was honored for his retirement.

“For 28 years, Lt. King has been a steadfast leader, a mentor and a protector of our community,” Davis said. “From the early days of his career as a patrol officer to his well-earned promotions through the ranks of sergeant and lieutenant, he has exemplified professionalism, integrity and an unwavering commitment to public safety.

“His leadership has not only helped to shape the department but also made a lasting impact on those he has worked with, whether through his mentorship of younger officers, his calm and decisive leadership in difficult situations or his compassionate approach to serving the citizens of our community,” he added.

While Davis had plenty more to say about King’s dedication, the man of honor wasn’t much for words.

“I’ll be honest with you,” King said, “I don’t say a whole lot, I’m just not a type of person that talks much, so how I feel about my retirement, I feel good.”

As to his reasoning for choosing to retire now, he said he simply felt it was time. “Nothing really made this time to retire special, I just got to the point where I was eligible for retirement, and I took it.”

As part of being acknowledged for this retirement, city council also unanimously passed a request for resolution to surplus King his badge and firearm. Both were presented to him at the meeting along with a gift from the police department of his long-standing portrait that hung in office.

“I get some crazy text and telephone calls from people at all hours of night and when I heard that he was going to retire, I thought to myself, this has got to be a spam call,” Mayor Lew Starling said jokingly. “I mean, this just can’t be right, and he can’t do it, I just won’t let him. I’m getting so emotional because I don’t want him to leave, but on behalf of city council, we say thank you for your service.

“I’m going to miss seeing you around town, you have done a tremendous job, we wish you very well in the future and certainly will miss you sir,” Starling added. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s been with the police department just about as long as Mayor Pro Tem (Marcus) Betcon has been on council and he’s been on council since I was 15. Jokes aside, it is very bittersweet to see him go.”

A Sampson County native, King’s love for law enforcement was sparked here after watching his family in the profession during his youth.

“When I was little, my father was in law enforcement,” King said. “I had another family member that was in law enforcement as well, so I grew up in it all my life. So I knew at an early age, this is what I wanted to be.”

That admiration turned into 28 years of service to Clinton Police Department and Davis said his efforts have made King much more than just a police officer.

“Beyond the badge, Lt. King has been a friend, a role model and a dedicated public servant,” he said. “While we will certainly miss his presence on the force, we are grateful for the legacy he leaves behind. On behalf of the city of Clinton and the entire community, we extend our deepest gratitude for your service. We wish you all the best in this next chapter of life — one that is certainly deserved.”

As for the next page in that chapter in retirement, King said his focus is on making up lost time with his family.

“My plans are just enjoying the family, I’ve missed a lot of family things through the 30 years so I plan to go from there,” he said.