Sergeant King

Benicia’s First Woman Sergeant

“Knowing that my work means something to my community, and the effort I put in is making a difference makes me very proud, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to do it.”

Sergeant Michelle King

It’s a long time coming, and we are proud to announce Benicia’s first-ever female Sergeant. Meet the newly promoted Sgt. Michelle King:

Sgt. Michell King, 31 years old, grew up in Solano County and has lived most of her life in the area. She graduated from California State University, Chico, with honors, with a degree in sociology. A year after graduation, she moved to Puerto Rico for one year, working with a non-profit organization. She then knew she wanted to become a police officer. “I felt it was the best way to serve my community and make a difference,” she said. She became an officer in December 2015, and has been working for the City of Benicia for the past five and a half years.

She has served as a patrol officer, criminal detective, and a Corporal in investigations. The investigations she handled included frauds and attempted murders. She also helped supervise and mentor the unit, before moving back to patrol as a Corporal. Some of her ancillary duties include defensive tactic instructor, Taser instructor, and acting as a member of the peer support team. She is also a member of the Solano County Crisis Negotiations Team.

King has had the opportunity to work various types of cases during her career which have led her to develop unique and special relationships. One of her proudest moments as an officer so far has been this promotion to sergeant. But outside of that, it is the relationships she has developed with her community and co-workers. One of her favorite memories as an officer was responding to a call for service and having the citizen involved recognize her and hug her, thankful that it was a “familiar and friendly" face coming to help that day. “Knowing that my work means something to my community, and the effort I put in is making a difference makes me very proud, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to do it.”

King feels extremely thankful to be the first female sergeant in Benicia. She appreciates and recognizes the hard work of women who have come before her, not only in this department, but this profession. She acknowledges that the examples made by and the hard work of other women have helped contribute to this opportunity. “I am also thankful to work for a department that is diverse and has an administration and Chief that support the members to grow as individuals and leaders,” she said. She expresses appreciation for their support in her ambition to serve her community and peers in this capacity.

This community holds a very special place in King’s heart. She believes Benicia is a community filled with people who are fun, passionate, caring and hard working. It's a place where people respect one another and help one another. Time and time again, on calls for service where people are in need, community members step up and offer help or assistance in different and creative ways. To be able to work and serve a community that loves and respects each other in that way is a special rarity, and something that inspires her. “Sgt. King is truly a wonderful asset to this organization and community,” Chief Mike Greene said. “I am honored to be able to promote her to this supervisory position. I think it will further strengthen this department. It is a historic moment for us to have our first female sergeant. However, Sgt. King possesses all of the traits and qualifications to be a great leader and rose to the top during a recent promotional process. She is an amazing individual and officer, regardless of her gender.”