Commander Don Bosley of the Heavener Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8403 announces with great pride and pleasure their nomination of Heavener Police Department Patrolman Mary Ann King for the VFW Gold Star Award in Law Enforcement.

Officer King serves as the communities School Resource Officer (SRO) and Patrolman. She was specifically selected for this position due to her superior performance and unique ability to effectively communicate with juveniles. She provides traffic safety monitoring around the schools and along bus routes within the city, patrols hallways, trains and counsels students on a range of subjects which include: Truancy, School Zone Safety, 911 Emergency Awareness, Drug Awareness Training, Gun Safety, Alcohol Awareness, Domestic Abuse Training, Anti-Discrimination Training, Anti-Violence Training, and Anti-Gang Training. Her unique ability to connect with students has resulted in reduced truancy, incidences of violence on or near school campus, incidences of drug or drug related offenses; and increased cooperation between students, parents, faculty, and law enforcement officers. At sporting events such as football, basketball, soccer and track, she attends to show her support for the students and to be a visual safety tool in the community to help ward off any conflicts.

Officer King has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Heavener Pre- K and Head Start Programs for her help in the community in educating the children regarding safety; and The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma issued a certificate for her participation in the Domestic Violence for the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault training.

Officer King’s efforts continue to make the City of Heavener a safer place to live and raise a family. She is most deserving of the recognition that this award would provide.