By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Local law enforcement was shaken by the sudden death of one of their own.
Director of the Missouri Western Law Enforcement Academy Joseph King died at age 51 on Christmas Eve.
King served 30 years in law enforcement between the St. Joseph Police Department and Buchanan and Platte County Sheriff offices.
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says King was a very meticulous and hardworking man at everything he did.
"Whenever Joe was given a new assignment, he would immerse himself in that and become an expert in that," Puett tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, he never wanted too not be fully knowledgeable
or not be able to deliver the utmost services to the citizens or whoever he was serving at the time."
King took over as the director of the academy in June of last year, and oversaw one of the largest classes in the academy's history.
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says while many are shaken by King's death, he's also seen a massive amount of respect for all he did for newer officers.
"How much his dedication and training gave to helping them start their career and those types of things," Puett says. "So, they're very appreciative for all the work that he gave to get them started."
Puett says King will be someone who is greatly missed in the community.
"He had a passion for law enforcement and a passion for his family so he will be greatly missed by a lot of people, he was a good man dedicated to serving our citizens and making our officers better," Puett says.
King's career in law enforcement began as a dispatcher for the St. Joseph Police Department before he worked his way up to the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office.
He became captain at the Platte County Sheriff's Office. King retired at the rank of captain before becoming director of the academy in June of 2021.