Tahlequah police chief seeking reelection

Lifelong Cherokee County resident Nate King has announced his candidacy in the upcoming race for Tahlequah police chief, a post to which he was elected 12 years ago.  

“I come to you once again announcing my intent to retain the office you have entrusted with me for the last twelve years. We started with hefty goals and continue to set big goals each and every day to better serve you. It has been my honor to serve not only the citizens, but the men and women of the Tahlequah Police Department for more than a decade as your police chief.” said King 

King is married to his wife, Brooke, and has five children, Daniel, Cara, Bryleigh, Bryson and Emersyn. He is the eldest of four children born to Geneva King and the late John King Jr. He is the grandson of the late John and Louise King Sr. and the late Frank and Rose Dumond.

King was raised the son of a General Baptist minister and has attended church his entire life. He has served as the pastor of Welling General Baptist Church for the last eight years. He has coached his children in sports and is an active member of our community.  

“I ran to be your police chief 12 years ago to raise the bar within the Tahlequah Police Department, by providing leadership you can trust and a department you can be proud of.” said King. “I feel like the bar was raised then and continues to be hoisted higher each day. I am proud of the men and women of the Tahlequah Police Department and the work they do every day. We continue to hire and cultivate phenomenal officers and have developed a healthy workplace that allows for growth and development.” 

King began his law enforcement career in 1999 as a dispatcher for the Tahlequah Police Department. He also served as a patrolman, detective, D.A.R.E. officer, probation officer and is currently Tahlequah’s police chief. King also received his bachelor's degree in management in 2008.   

“We continue to be one of the only cities in Oklahoma with a school resource officer at each school site,” said King. “Our reporting system allows us to analyze crime and performance data rapidly to better serve you. We recently moved 911 into the police department which puts all emergency dispatchers in the same room for the first time in Cherokee County. ” 

King said property crime has dropped over 40 percent during his tenure and Tahlequah is currently 35 percent below the national average. The department is on pace to log more than 60,000 calls for service this year, about half of which are officer initiated calls.  

"We have a system in place that is working well, and we will continue to do the same things we’ve been doing. We plan to dedicate personnel to the downtown corridor including the parks and walking trail. We are working towards a survey that will better identity areas of strength and areas for growth within the department.” said King. “We continue to work tirelessly to give you a department you can trust and be proud of. I will continue to work just as hard the next four years as your chief of police,” King said “We will continue to work with the citizens and evolve in every way needed for Tahlequah. There is still more work to be done, I would be honored to continue working with and for you.”