Allegheny Township female police officer set to retire after 31 years
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A longtime public servant in the Alle-Kiski Valley is retiring.
Police Officer Anita King will wrap up her law enforcement career of 31 years on Jan. 3, her last day of active duty with the Allegheny Township Police Department.
King has, who has served with the department since 1990, was promoted to full time in 1993.
A graduate of Apollo-Ridge High School, King completed her police certifications with 532 training hours logged at Indiana University Police Academy in 1989.
“There was one other female in my class,” King said. “I didn’t think police training was hard at all.”
King had no training with firearms before deciding to become a police officer and said she was one of a small number of female officers in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
With King’s impending retirement, Allegheny Township is left with one female officer, Charity Hollis, who serves as the school resource officer at Kiski Area High School.
“I always wanted to be a police officer since I was a young kid,” King said. “I have always loved the job, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
King said, unlike a lot of police officers, she didn’t have any family members in law enforcement. Her family, though, encouraged her to do whatever would make her happy.
King, in her 50s, has lived in the Alle-Kiski Valley her entire life.
She has worked in Kiski Township, North Apollo and Allegheny Township.
“I’ve been fortunate in the way I’ve been looked at being a female officer,” she said. “The male officers that I’ve worked with never treated me any differently.”
In more than three decades wearing a badge, King said she never considered quitting law enforcement.
“The most asked question being a female officer is ‘Aren’t you afraid?’ There are certain calls when you’re afraid but you have to put your fears aside because you have a job to do and are there to help people in their time of need,” King said.
With the way police work has changed over the past several years, King said she considers herself lucky to work in a good community.
“There’s a lot less respect for law enforcement officers in this country,” she said. “Everything you do now is scrutinized.”
Allegheny Township Supervisor-elect Jamie Morabito has known King for decades.
“She’s always been a true professional and always acted with the utmost respect and dedication,” Morabito said. “I wish her only the best in enjoying her retirement as it’s well deserved.”
King said her retirement plans include spending more time with her family and relaxing with her beloved dog, Keely.
“My hobby is my dog,” King said. “She’s the spoiled one.”