By Mike Rutledge
NKyTribune correspondent
Michael “Spike” Jones is stepping down as police chief of his hometown Covington after almost three years at that post and more than 26 years as an officer.
Jones joined the force Sept. 22, 1988 and has filled many roles in the department, including the federal safe streets task force and Covington’s D Team, which deals with street crimes, vice, and narcotics. While doing that work, Jones wore long hair – unlike the short crop he wears now – and old clothes. He could assume an icy glare while working undercover that seemed to put him in league with the criminal elements he was investigating.
Assistant Chief, Lt. Col. Bryan Carter, is expected to be Jones’ replacement when the retirement takes effect in late May.
Mayor Sherry Carran said both Jones and City Manager Larry Klein have recommended that Carter be elevated to the chief’s position, and the city commission is expected to make that happen.
“I think for the most part, all of us who know Bryan are comfortable with that,” Carran said. “Carter’s been really, really good. He’s been a big help to Spike, and he knows stuff. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
Jones, who took the day off today, was not available to comment.
“We’re going to miss Spike like crazy,” Carran said. “He’s confident, but he doesn’t have a big ego. He has good people skills, and he has an awareness and understanding about people, especially about the people of Covington.”
Now nearing 50 (that milestone hits in October) and a father of two who plans to marry, the man who grew up on 17th Street, not far from police headquarters, announced Wednesday he is stepping down.
Jones took the chief’s position after the tumultuous leadership of Chief Lee Russo, a chief who came from a large out-of-state police force and stepped on toes of Covington officers who wanted to see one of their own promoted and chafed at several of Russo’s decisions, including a bright uniform pant some argued could put their lives at risk in the dark.
Things calmed significantly under Jones, a Holmes graduate who was particularly active in the city’s humble Westside and Eastside neighborhoods, and earlier this year spoke out in an interview with the NKyTribune about the presence essentially everywhere across Northern Kentucky – rural areas, suburbs and inner-city areas – of heroin.
Earlier this year he said he also was proud that the department was one of 11 selected for a Met Life Foundation community-policing award. Covington was chosen from nearly 600 departments across the country. It was also one of three chosen nationally to demonstrate police-community relations techniques and help illustrate how police departments can work as part of a city’s community development efforts, as the department has in the Westside, and some business districts.
“Probably the single vote I’m most proud of was appointing him chief. He’s done a spectacular job and absolutely will be missed,” said city Commissioner Steve Frank. “I had him on my speed dial. I could call him when something was going on. The last one was there were some naked people down at George Rogers Clark Park. There’s some art people who think getting naked and taking pictures is art.”
Frank and others were sitting around down there and “All of a sudden, three people just take off their clothes and they’re taking pictures, and I called Spike, and immediately got someone to come down there, but the folks had absconded before the law could get there,” Frank said. “He’s always been very responsive when something was going on.”
Frank said Carter is the one most ready to go as chief, and city officials “didn’t want to relive the era of outsourcing to another department, the Russo era – that apparently didn’t go too well for the morale of the troops, so I think they would prefer to stay in-house as possible.”
In January Jones said he believed the caliber of Covington police officer had risen in recent years.
“I think we’ve hired some good people in recent years. I really do,’ Jones said. “And I think that speaks volumes. You put a 22- or 23-year-old young man or woman out on the street and they’re charged with enforcing state law, you want to make sure you’ve got the right person doing it. And I think our staff here has done a really good job.”
Whatever Jones does next, Carran says, she expects he will do it well: “I know he’s very respected, not only in Covington, but throughout the state.” She also complimented his efforts battling the heroin scourge in Northern Kentucky.
You might also be interested in this NKyTribune story:
Police Chief Jones says heroin not just an enforcement issue