Troy King entered last Friday’s meeting with the Alabama Association of Chief’s of Police with ideas to help the government and law enforcement relations run smoothly.

He left with the support of 70 Chiefs. Among them, were local law enforcement leaders Demopolis Public Safety Director Jeff Manuel and Linden’s Jeff Laduron.

Manuel, who is also president of the association, said he has met with King on numerous occasions and felt he is the man for the job.

“I have been associated with a lot of attorney generals and Troy King has done a lot for law enforcement,” Manuel said. “I think his heart is generally there.”

Through meetings, Laduron said, he has gotten to know King very well. He said he has always been very impressed with King’s ideas and personality.

“I am behind him 200 percent,” Laduron said. “He is a fine Christian man and I think he is doing a wonderful job. I think a lot of the police chiefs are going to support him and law enforcement in general. He is a fine person.”

During the meeting, King pledged his support to law enforcement agencies across the state and thanked them for standing behind him.

“You are the ones on the frontlines everyday fighting to keep Alabamians safe, and I am honored that you would stand with me as I campaign for a full term as Alabama’s Attorney General,” King said. “I was once told that of you want to know who to support as Alabama’s top law enforcement officer, you should ask a law enforcement officer. Well, I did, and I am honored that so many answered that question by choosing to stand with me.”

While in office, King has written legislation that would remove state tax levied against survivor’s benefits paid by the state for first responders who fall during the line of duty.

Currently, Alabama taxes the benefits paid to the surviving family members of first responders who are killed in the line of duty. King said when he saw this, he was shocked.

“When I found out the state was doing this, I knew something had to be done to correct this unfair and unacceptable situation, so I drafted legislation that would correct it,” King said. “We owe it to those who put their lives on the line for us everyday to show we care and we appreciate the sacrifices they make. The federal government does not tax these benefits and neither should Alabama.”

Legislation is also needed, King said, to help officers while they are on duty, especially in the war on methamphetamines. King said he was working to pass legislation, along with Rep. Ron Johnson and Sen. Gerald Dial, to remove the requirement for law enforcement to domestic warrants served outside their jurisdiction.

“A critical component of this war on meth is empowering law enforcement officers to apprehend criminals when they find them, without making them jump through legal hoops,” King said. “This law will give law enforcement an important tool they have been seeking for several years.”

With this legislation in the works and King in office, Manuel said, law enforcement officers across the state could feel good about the attorney general’s office.

“I think we would be proud to have him and I have always been behind Troy,” Manuel said. “He is a good, down to earth guy and he is really interested in the direction of law enforcement.”