Lieutenant Don King Retires after 25 Years with Auburndale Police Deptartment
On Thursday, June 15, the Auburndale Police Department celebrated the retirement of Lieutenant Don King. A ceremony was held in the Police Department’s Community Room with family members, administration, colleagues, and friends.
To open the event, Lieutenant King was recognized for his 25 years of service to the Auburndale Police Department. He began his law enforcement career in 1998 with Auburndale, after graduating from the Polk State College’s Law Enforcement Academy. Lieutenant King has held several different positions in the department, including patrol officer, traffic unit, traffic homicide investigator, community policing, Special Enforcement Unit detective, and he was a member of the Crime Reduction Team.
In 2006, King was assigned as a corporal. Ten years later, he achieved the rank of sergeant. In February of 2019, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Law Enforcement Division and later transferred to the Special Operation Division in 2022. Along with his high-ranking position he maintains a high level of expertise, completing numerous advanced law enforcement training and leadership certifications. Most recently, Lt. Don King completed the National Innovation Academy which is an 8-week executive level training course.
Over the course of his career, he has been involved in numerous major investigations leading to federal indictments in major narcotics cases. He has led and assisted in investigations of homicides, attempted homicides, home invasions and sexual battery cases. Through his tireless work he has had countless commendations, including Chief Commendations.
Police Chief Terry Storie stated, “Don King has a wealth of law enforcement knowledge, and equally as important, he has a wealth of the Auburndale Police Department cultural knowledge. Both of these things are extremely difficult to replace, and while we wish him well as a Captain with the Davenport Police Department, he will definitely be missed.”
