Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe King.
Hi Joe , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Dallas Texas, the Oak Cliff area, and we had a very tight knit family. My family all grew up in West Dallas, and I developed a strong love for the City of Dallas and its history. The Oak Cliff area of Dallas has some of the most picturesque, beautiful scenery that Dallas has to offer. My parents watched the TV show Dallas and, even as a young kid, I took pride that there was a major show that was named after the city I lived.
Growing up a superhero fan I gravitated to the work of crime fighting and helping people that could not help themselves from being victimized by the criminal element. I looked at the Dallas Police Department as the City’s protectors and I loved that iconic patch, and badge and believed it stood for what I wanted to be. So, I had a mission to one day become a Dallas Police Officer and work in my hometown city.
In 1997 I fulfilled that goal and I still, to this day, cannot describe the amount of pride that consumed me when Chief Ben Click handed me my badge and swore me in to become a Dallas Police Officer. I went to the Southeast Patrol Division and immediately gravitated to working street level narcotic sales and the gang element. I loved being about to take a complaint, from a citizen that lived amongst the drug houses, and being able to shut them down to provide that family some peace. Again, it goes back to helping those who need help.
After nearly twenty years of working the streets tragedy stuck Dallas on July 7th, 2016, when the department and city of Dallas lost five officers in an ambush style attack. Personally, I lost a good friend and professionally it changed my mission in How I wanted to serve my fellow officers and their families.
I joined the police charity, the Assist the Officer Foundation, and I found my new passion in raising money to support first responders in need and provide free mental health counseling.
in 2021, to further the promotion of mental health awareness and to humanize the profession, I started a podcast for the ATO to promote mental health awareness, education, and assist with fostering better relationships with the community and the first responder world.
We launched ATO: Bridging the Divide in August of 2021 and have released nearly 100 episodes and have been downloaded in over 80 countries and has been downloaded in every state. According to Listen Score, a ratings website, we have crawled up to the top 1.5 % globally.
The growth and the reach has far surpassed my initial vision. We look forward to continuing telling stories and making connections around the world through this platform. I have the mindset that if you can help one life with your mission, the mission is worth it. With all of the messages and responses I have received I do feel the mission is worthy and valuable.
I am married to a Child Abuse Detective, Kristen, and parent to a beautiful 10 year old daughter. Being a parent and instilling structure and a loving environment to another human, that I help create, is my greatest success. I try to be the hero that my daughter believes that I am. I rarely achieve this, because she has great expectations of me, but I try my best to do this because she is the last person I want to let down. She is my legacy and I could have asked for a better partner to help me raise her.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No journey in life has been smoothed for anyone that has lived it. I have learned so much more from my failures than my successes. My failures, in a lot of ways, has been some of my greatest accomplishments because it motivated me, provided clarity, humility, and awareness. That has led me to grow and reminds me of what can happen if I am not focused and have a mission.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
For years, as a Dallas Police Officer, I took pride in investigating street level narcotic sales and targeting fugitives and gang activity. i am proud of the reputation I had for this and also helping to mentor younger officers that wanted to do the same type of proactive policing.
But as life events, tragedies, failures, and a new found passion and mission emerged, I now pride myself on helping my peers in their times of need. Whether its speaking to people one on one, or using the podcast platform to communicate, I believe we all have a responsibility to continually help those in need.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I would say to pay attention to what others say about the people you choose to follow. Take more equity in paying attention to people’s actions rather than their words. I am a big believer in words being a cheap substitute for action.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atodallas.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ato_bridging_divide/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ato.bridging.divide.2025
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@joeking7919
