Vicki King

Vicki King began her 37-year law enforcement career with the Houston Police Department, rising through the ranks to Assistant Chief. As the Chief of Detectives, King formed the Cold Case Murder Squad, Houston Men Against Family Violence, Cash for Crooks, and Gang Murder Squad. Under her command, UCR murder clearances increased by 32% in 2008. Following her success in Criminal Investigations, King engineered similar innovations and improvements in the Tactical Support and Forensic Services Commands.

In 2011, King retired from HPD to serve as an emissary to members of the Saudi Royal family. She traveled extensively for two years before returning to teach in the University of Houston system. In 2014, King served as the first female Chief of Police for the City of La Marque.

In 2015, King headed up the Threat Assessment Unit for MD Anderson, UT-Heath, and Harris County Psychiatric Center campuses in Houston. In this role, King collaborated with multidisciplinary teams comprised of officers, mental health officials, human resource personnel, doctors, attorneys, and councilors to identify risks and intervention strategies.

Chief King earned her undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Houston—Downtown and is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police.