By Andy Furman
NKyTribune staff writer
Spike Jones is a lifelong resident of Kenton County and was a member of the Covington Police Department for nearly 27 years.
In June of 2012 he was named Chief of Police for the City of Covington and served until his retirement in 2015.
On August 28, 2015 he “unretired” and was sworn in as the 13th Chief of Police for the Kenton County Police Department.
And there is one thread that has followed him throughout his career – honesty.
“My son was 19 years old at the time,” Spike told the Northern Kentucky Tribune, while serving as guest speaker for this week’s Covington Rotary Club lunch meeting at the Radisson Hotel. “He got a speeding a ticket on the AA. He never told me, or anyone else.”
In fact, Spike continued, his son paid the fine – without asking for dad’s assistance – not for cash – but to bury the offense. Jones was serving with the Kenton County Police at the time.
“I knew nothing about it,” Spike repeated, “and I’m not here to applaud or boast about my son; that’s just what he did.”
Perhaps it was good parenting.
And better policing.
Why wouldn’t he take care of his son? “If something is not available to anyone else, the answer plainly is a no,” Spike immediately told the Tribune.
That alone should give anyone in Kenton County a good feeling. Hard working, dedicated to his job, and most of all – honest.
The patrol service population in Kenton County is 15,416, with 165 square miles total with a patrol area of 86.75 square miles, according to figures produced by Jones.
“We have 35 fulltime sworn employees, 10 resource officers and six civilian employees,” said the graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Police Science and Police Administration.
The total police budget in the Kenton County is $8 million and last year the department answered 37,957 calls.
“We are a force multiplier for other cities in the county,” he said. “We have a Bureau of Investigations, STAR Unit, Drone Team and an Evidence Collection Team.”
A new team – the Law Enforcement Navigator Unit was added and now operating in its second quarter.
“The program has four officers – and is supported by the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy – NKYODCP – which coordinates regional behavioral health and public safety initiatives through strategic partnerships, policy development, Opioid abatement support, and oversight of the Northern Kentucky Helpline.
The Helpline serves as a connection point for all community members linking individuals, families, and stakeholders to coordinated services, resources, and systems of support.
“We had 357 new and open cases since December,” Jones said, “involving 759 individuals.”
In fact, he said the NKYODCP goes to the same eight to 10 percent of the homes 100 percent of the time.
Covington wasn’t forgotten at the meeting as Lt. Col. Justin Wietholter – the city’s Police Chief – had his say after lunch.
“We’re here to deliver trust, community service as well as innovation for the city,” said the man who started as a Cadet in 2005.
He took over as Covington’s Chief in August.
“One of my first priorities was ensuring the department was structured to meet today’s challenges,” the 2009 NKU grad said. “We reorganized our bureaus and combined Strategic Services and Criminal Investigations into a unified Investigations Bureau.”
He said it was done to improve communication between units, as well as reducing organizational silos, and increased efficiency and accountability. And the impact—investigations move more efficiently.
Chief Wietholter said Covington has also established a Joint Field Operations Group capability.
“This unit,” he said, “allows us to better respond to large public gatherings, demonstrations, emergencies and critical incidents. The purpose – preparedness.”
Covington, he added, has leveraged technology to meet future challenges. The Drone as a first responder program. “If this bill is passed by the commission, we will be implementing a Drone as a First Responder program.
“Drones can arrive at a scene before officers. They provide real-time information, they can capture critical pieces of evidence, and can assist in locating critical missing persons (Autistic Children).”
The city has partnered with Axon to bring advanced technology solution to its officers. New AI-powered tools help officers spend less time with paperwork. Translation technology helps officers communicate with residents and visitors who speak different languages.
“Our goal is to ensure every resident receives the same level of service regardless of language barriers.
“Covington’s Hispanic population has doubled from 2020-2024,” he said. “The Covington Police Department is committed to building a modern police agency that balances innovation, accountability, and community engagement.
“Everything we do is guided by one objective – ensuring Covington remains safe, thriving and welcoming community for everyone who loves, works and visits here,” the Chief promised.
But wait — there is one more thing. Rotarian Arnold Taylor reminded the police officers: the case of the missing Rotary Bell has to be reopened.