Frequently Asked Questions about King Police Dept

Frequently Asked Questions about King Police Dept

The following are questions frequently asked about King Police Department and our operations. If you have a question but do not find it listed below, please call us at our new phone number: 336-983-0886.

1. How can I contact the King Police Department?

IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.

You may contact us by phone at 336-983-0886. If you are calling after hours and need immediate assistance, or you reach the automated answering system, select Option #1 to speak with the on duty dispatcher immediately. You may also leave a non-urgent message with any Police Dept division, following the instructions by the automated answering system.  Every City of King Department has a new phone number due to the replacement of our old city phone system.

You may also contact the King Police Department by email to the Administrative Assistant at awarren@ci.king.nc.us; Records Clerk at pellison@ci.king.nc.us, Chief Boyette at jboyette@ci.king.nc.us, or to the Captain Tedder at itedder@ci.king.nc.us, to the Patrol Lieutenant at kgallimore@ci.king.nc.us, or the Investigations Lieutenant at bhaynes@ci.king.nc.us, or by snail mail, or in Person (during regular business hours) at 621 Ingram Dr in King.

2.  Is the Police Dept closed at night and on the weekends?

Yes and No. The business offices are open weekdays 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and are closed evenings, weekends, and holidays. But King Police shifts are scheduled to work 24/7/365 and are ALWAYS on duty and available for calls.

In addition, at least one Command Staff Level Police Officer and one Detective is also always on call.

3.  How can I find out where Registered Sex Offenders live in my community?

We have posters of local Registered Sex Offenders posted in the lobby of the Police Department. You may also identify their names and locations on the following website: www.familywatchdog.us.

4.  I need to be fingerprinted for employment reasons. Can I do that at the Police Department?

Fingerprinting services are by appointment only. Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  You may contact Administrative Assistant Ashlee Warren at (336) 983-0886 to schedule an appointment. Fingerprinting cost is $10 per card, and a valid identification such as a driver’s license with correct information is required.

Please note that if you need to be fingerprinted for a concealed carry permit application, you must go to the sheriff of the county where you reside. 

5. How can I obtain a copy of a police report?

Incident reports and vehicle accident reports can be obtained from Records Clerk Pamela Ellison at the King Police Department. Incident reports are typically available the next day after the incident, and vehicle accident reports are typically available one week after the incident. 

6. Can I request an officer to attend or speak at an event such as one hosted by a local school, church, community watch, civic organization or other community group?

Yes you may.  Please contact the Police Department any time Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm and a department representative will assist you in your request. 

7.  Can I obtain a Criminal Records Check of myself or another person at the King Police Department?

 No.  Criminal Records must be obtained from the Clerk of Court in the County in which the person resides.  You may also contact the State Bureau of Investigation, and upon the submission of fingerprint cards and a fee, they can also perform a Criminal Records check. 

8.  Where can I get a Handgun Purchase Permit and/or a Concealed Carry Permit? 

Both of these may be obtained only from the Sheriff of the County in which you reside. 

9.  Do I need to register my guns?

No.  There is no official gun registry in the State of North Carolina. 

10. Why do I see King Police cars on U.S. Highway 52?

The City of King actually includes 3 miles on US 52 (5 miles counting our Extra Territorial Jurisdiction) for which King PD, not the State Highway Patrol or Sheriff's deputies, handles all traffic related issues. These include not only speed enforcement, but also accident investigation, stranded motorists, debris in the roadway calls, DWIs and all collisions including fatalities.

We prioritize our enforcement activities by several criteria, including fatalities, fugitives apprehended, and drunk drivers arrested. A sad but very real fact is that almost every collision above 80 MPH will prove to be a fatality. During two recent speed studies conducted in the City of King on US 52 alone, there was at least 1 driver above 80 MPH every 3.6 minutes. There was also at least one driver above 100 MPH every hour.

Officers working US 52 definitely attract the public’s eye more readily, but despite these staggering figures, the majority of our force by far does not concentrate on US 52, though it is incumbent upon us to continue our presence there. 

11.  Why do King Police Officers issue speeding tickets? 

Actually, King Police Officers typically issue about three times the number of Warnings as we do actual Citations.  We do have a speeding problem within the City limits of King, and we do have an excessive number of speeding related accidents, including fatalities.  For this reason, and in response to special requests by citizens for speed enforcement in business and residential communities, King Police Officers enforce speed regulations.  In addition, vehicle stops are critical for other reasons as well.  We make numerous DWI arrests and drug seizures from vehicle stops, as well as arrests of Fugitives and other Wanted Persons we may not otherwise discover.  Police officers, including the Chief, do not have the authority to dismiss an issued Citation. 

12.  What if I need to hold a public Special Event in the city limits of King? 

All information regarding public Special Events can be found in the City of King Ordinances at the following link:  http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=13143.  The required application may also be downloaded and printed from the city website. 

13.  Can I hire off-duty King Police Officers to work security at my special event? 

Yes, you may make the request, providing that alcohol is not provided at the special event.  The fee per officer is listed in our current fiscal year fee schedule found here.      

14.  Can I request a security check for my residence while I am on vacation? 

Absolutely!  You may contact Records Clerk Pamela Ellison to submit a security check request.  No fee is charged for this service. 

15.  Do King Police Officers respond to burglar alarms?  

Yes.  If you live in the city limits and have an alarm system installed in your home or business, please make sure it is registered with the King Police Department.  The King City Ordinance relating to Alarms, including fees charged for false alarm activations, is available on the city website under “Alarms.”  

16.  Do King Police Officers still have police authority when they are off duty? 

Yes.  The authority of Police Officers in North Carolina in their jurisdiction is the same 24/7/365.  

17.  What do I do if I want to complain about a particular King Police Officer?    

Like most law enforcement agencies, King PD does have a process in place for handling complaints against a Police Officer.  Complaints may be taken by phone or in person.  Regardless of the officer’s rank, the process begins with the officer’s immediate supervisor.  If the complaint is not resolved at that point, contact may be made with the next supervisor in the officer’s chain of command, and so forth.  Therefore, complaints do not begin at the level of Chief (unless the complaint is against an officer at the rank of Lieutenant).  Complaints against the Chief of Police should be directed to the City Manager.  If a formal investigation is required, the complainant must complete and sign an official complaint form which is available at the King Police Department.  All initial complaints received will be taken seriously.  

18.  If someone invades my home, do I have the right to protect myself? 

Yes.  Every citizen has the right to protect himself or herself or a third party in accordance with North Carolina General Statutes.  These laws also include provisions for the use of deadly force by a citizen for purposes of self-defense against imminent deadly force.  Under the Castle Doctrine, a person does not have an obligation to retreat when his or her home is attacked.    

19.  What is the most serious crime problem we have in the City of King? 

The answer to this question varies, depending on one’s perspective.  For the homeowners who come home from work to discover their homes broken into and their valuables stolen, break-ins may become the worst crime problem they have experienced.  For the tellers at local banks or the clerks at local pharmacies, convenience stores or fast-food restaurants who have been robbed at gun or knifepoint, armed robberies become their response to this question.  Family members of children who have been sexually molested often cannot imagine anything worse than what has happened to their child.  Loved ones of others who have died as a result of prescription pill abuse, heroin addiction, alcoholism or other substance see these as the most serious crime problem in the City of King.  Domestic disturbances and violence in the home also rank high on the list.  The point is that King Police understand that crime affects everyone in our city, and a victim traumatized by any type of crime needs immediate assistance and protection, and they are counting on us to provide it.  It is our mission to respond as quickly as possible, to ensure the safety of every person present, to investigate each reported crime thoroughly, to enforce the law, apprehend offenders, and do our part to preserve our citizens’ rights to live and work peacefully in our community.