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Retired Louisville officer ‘Sir Friendly C’ has street named in his honor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A retired Louisville police officer who used rapping to encourage students to avoid drugs and resist violence had a street named for him Saturday.

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Ray Barker, known as “Sir Friendly C,” was honored with a sign at the corner of Cecil Avenue and Broadway in west Louisville, WDRB reported. The intersection will be known as “Ray A. Barker, Sir Friendly C Way,” the television station reported.

“It’s very special,” Barker told WDRB. “It feels like nothing but love to me to have the citizens of Louisville to say, ‘Thank you’ in this way.”

Barker, 59, is a Louisville native and former U.S. Marine who served in the Louisville Metro Police Department from 1987 to 2005, the City of Louisville said in a news release. Barker spoke to more than 100,000 youths in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee, the release stated.

Louisville Metro Councilwoman Jessica Green led the effort for renaming the intersection, which was approved by the City Council in November, WDRB reported. Green was present during Saturday’s dedication ceremony.

“It is an honor to pay tribute to someone who was out on the streets protecting us and going the extra step to impact our children over these many years,” Green said in a statement. “Sir Friendly C’s anti-drug messages have helped so many children and young people see the right path and make an impact with their lives. May this sign remind everyone of his good work in our community.”

In addition to his talks to youths, Barker has created Sir Friendly “C” Inc., a nonprofit organization.

Barker was also known as the “hip-hop cop” during his years on the force, according to a news release from the Louisville Metro Police Department. The “C” does not stand for “cop,” but for “C.O.O.L.,” an abbreviation of “Chillin’ Only On Life,” the news release stated.

Despite his retirement, Barker said he remains active. He serves on the Executive Kentucky Lottery board and works with an organization called Man Up, WDRB reported.

“I still live down the street,” Barker told the television station. “I still walk in my community to let folks know I’m still here if they need my help.”