BENTONVILLE — Capt. Lance King’s tenure with the Arkansas State Police will end Dec. 31.
King, the commander of Troop L in Springdale, will retire after 30 years with the organization. He was commissioned on Sept. 21, 1987, and promoted to captain Dec. 14, 2007.
Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the State Police, said King is responsible for supervising 45 personnel slots covering Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties.
King declined a request for comment on his retirement.
Sadler said the department’s Highway Patrol Division commanders will oversee Troop L until King’s position is filled.
William J. Bryant, State Police director, congratulated King on his retirement in a Nov. 15 letter.
“I wish you the best of times with your family, friends and community in your retirement years,” Bryant wrote in his letter to King.
Sadler said the change of command of Troop L will not slow construction of the troop’s new headquarters in Lowell. The 46,035-square-foot building will replace the site at 900 S. 48th St. in Springdale which is 6.5 miles south of the planned Lowell location. The new headquarters is under construction at 1120 W. Monroe Ave. on land the state purchased in 2011.
Sadler said the contractor anticipates the building will be ready in late October or early November.
An administrative review of Troop L that began in September also continues, Sadler said.
King asked for the review following a high-speed pursuit that ended with a trooper striking a lieutenant with his vehicle and after two civilian employees were suspended for making false claims on their payroll records, Sadler said in September.
Tracy M. Neal can be reached by email at [email protected] or Twitter @NWATracy.