Nuvision Heroes: Officer Matt King-- Youth Liaison Officer, Brentwood Police Department

When most people hear “police officer,” they picture traffic stops, flashing lights, or crime scenes.

They don’t picture a cop playing foursquare at recess.
They don’t picture someone learning middle-school slang so he can connect with kids.
They don’t picture an officer helping organize a prom for students in the Life Skills program so they get a night that feels just as big as everyone else’s.

That’s why we’re featuring Officer Matt King this month.

He’s been in law enforcement for nearly 20 years. He’s worked patrol. He’s done graveyard shifts. He’s spent years in traffic riding a motorcycle. He’s been a SWAT team member for a decade.

And today, he’s responsible for 13 schools in Brentwood — from kindergarten through eighth grade — where most of his job isn’t about enforcement.

It’s about prevention.
It’s about relationships.
It’s about showing up before something turns into a bigger problem.

That’s the side of law enforcement people don’t always see — and it’s exactly why Officer King is this month’s Nuvision Hero.

A Career That Took an Unexpected Turn

Officer King didn’t map out a career in law enforcement from a young age. He was running a trucking company in the Bay Area when he made a decision that would change his path entirely. Service had always been in the back of his mind.

“I think I’ve always had that mindset… that I wanted to serve my community or country,” he shared.

He began his law enforcement career with the Oakland Police Department, before transferring to Brentwood, where he has now spent most of his career.

All of that changes how you see the job.

Officer King has handled the calls where things go sideways fast. He’s worked the long nights. He’s been part of a team that trains for the worst-case scenarios. And now, most of his day is spent making sure kids don’t end up anywhere near that path in the first place.

He still serves on SWAT, and he talks about it like someone who genuinely enjoys being part of a tight team that trains hard and shows up when it counts.

Building Trust Before It’s Needed

As Brentwood’s Youth Liaison Officer, Officer King serves three middle schools, nine elementary schools, and one online school. That’s a wide spectrum—kids who are just learning to tie their shoes, to teens on the edge of high school.

When asked how much of his job is enforcement versus relationship-building, his answer was clear: prevention comes first.

“We try to do as much as we can to take care of issues before they become actual criminal offenses,” he explained.

Instead of only stepping in when something goes wrong, he spends time on campus during recess, lunch, and passing periods. He plays sports. He hands out stickers and baseball cards. He learns the latest slang and dances. He pays attention.

And that’s when you start seeing the difference.

When kids know him as more than “the cop who shows up when someone’s in trouble,” they open up. They give him a heads-up if something is brewing between classmates. They ask questions. They see him as someone who’s there for them—not just to discipline them.

It’s easy, he admits, to focus on the small percentage of students who cause repeated issues. But over time, he’s learned to zoom out.

“Ninety percent of them are great kids,” he said. They’re smart, capable, and still figuring things out. And that’s where good coaching comes in.

The Challenges Kids Face Today

One of the biggest shifts he’s seen over his career isn’t in the classroom—it’s online.

“The biggest one is social media and just access to electronics,” he said.

Even at the elementary level, students know how to navigate privacy settings, create alternate accounts, and bypass restrictions. Many don’t fully understand that what they post or send can live online permanently. And while parents do their best, the reality is that technology evolves quickly—and kids adapt even faster.

Brentwood schools recently implemented a rule requiring phones to stay off and in backpacks during the school day. The result? A noticeable drop in cyber-bullying and inappropriate content circulating during school hours.

Still, Officer King emphasizes that structure at school is only part of the solution. Every family is different. Some need phones for logistics and safety. But from his perspective, the later kids get full access to social media, the better.

At the end of the day, though, he doesn’t approach it with frustration. He approaches it with understanding. Most of these students aren’t acting out because they’re “bad.” They’re navigating pressures—social, academic, digital—that didn’t exist a generation ago.

A Community That Shows Up: Celebrating Every Student

Officer King’s work doesn’t end when the school bell rings.

Through Brentwood PAL (Police Activities League), he helps run the department’s annual Crab Feed. The event funds the Unified Prom for students in the Life Skills program across Liberty, Heritage, and Freedom High Schools. This year, the prom is on May 2.

And this isn’t just a “put some decorations up in a cafeteria” type of event.

The students get haircuts and styling, tuxedos and dresses. They’re taken to dinner. Then there’s a parade through downtown Brentwood, with people lining the streets and cheering as they pass by. After that, they head into the Community Center for a full prom — DJ, dancing,  the works.

“It’s all at no cost to the families,” he said. “It’s all paid for through the PAL program.”

You can hear in the way he talks about it that this isn’t just another assignment on the calendar. Community service, he said, has “always been on my heart.”

But working directly with students and their families every day has made it more personal. When you see these kids in class, at recess, in tough moments, and then you see them dressed up and celebrated in front of the entire city — that sticks with you.

That’s what this event really is. The department and the community showing up for these kids and making sure those students get a night that feels just as big and special as anyone else’s.

Two Decades In: The Mindset That Keeps Him Going

“It’s all about mindset,” he said. “Everything in life is about perspective.”

There are days in this profession when the stakes are incredibly high—moments when, as he put it, “your life is going to be flashing before your eyes.” And there are other moments so absurd or funny that you can’t stop laughing. Most days land somewhere in between.

The difference, he believes, is how you choose to focus. You can dwell on the hardest parts of the job, or you can hold onto the good—the student who turned things around, the positive interaction on campus, the team you serve alongside.

For young people considering a career in law enforcement, his advice is honest and direct. The hours are long. The scrutiny is real. The standard is high. You have to truly want it.

But if you do?

“If you really want it, it’s the greatest job in the world.”

Building a Better Tomorrow, One Kid at a Time

At Nuvision, we know strong communities don’t just build themselves—they get better when people decide to invest in them.

Officer Matt King does that every day. Whether he’s responding to a high-risk call, mentoring a sixth grader, or helping create a prom experience for students who deserve a night to shine, he leads with his heart.

Years from now, those kids probably won’t remember every lesson from class. But they’ll remember there was a cop on campus who knew their name and treated them like they mattered.

And that’s exactly why he’s this month’s Nuvision Hero.