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City Announces Retirement of Chief of Police Bryan Carter; Thanks Chief Carter for 27 Years of Service

COVINGTON, KY – On Tuesday, August 8, the City of Covington announced the retirement of Chief of Police Bryan Carter, thanking him for his 27 years of service with the Covington Police Department. Carter’s retirement will go into effect September 1, 2017.

Chief of Police Bryan Carter stated, “Serving the Covington community over the last 27 years have been the most rewarding of my life. I am convinced that the Covington Police Department is one of the best around and all the credit goes to the men and women that work tirelessly to make the community safer. 

“I will miss all the people in the community and the people I work with, but I know that the department is in very capable hands.”

In 1990, Carter was hired onto the Covington Police Department and served as the Third Shift Patrol Officer. Chief Carter has served in many capacities for the Police Department including Uniform Patrol Officer, Vice Officer, SWAT Hostage Negotiator, Shift Supervisor, Shift Commander and Records/Technology Bureau Commander.

While overseeing the Records/Technology Bureau, Chief Carter assisted in the migration of communications from Covington to Kenton County.

In 2012, Carter was promoted to the Assistant Chief of Police under Chief Michael “Spike” Jones. Carter was then named Chief of Police upon Chief Jones’ retirement on June 1, 2015.

Mayor Joseph U. Meyer stated, “Chief Carter demonstrated the highest commitment to public service over a distinguished career here in Covington. His tireless efforts and dedication have made the City a safer place. We thank him for his years of devotion to the department and to the community.”

Known for his hard work and integrity, Carter was further praised by the Police Department for his leadership, supervision and compassion.

Assistant Chief of Police Robert Nader stated, “Chief Carter has been a visionary and compassionate leader, not only concerned about the positive direction of our department and our City in the present, but also concerned how our actions now will affect our department and its services in the future.

“He is a great listener, mentor, and friend and he will be missed. I wish him the best in retirement and future endeavors.”

Assistant Chief of Police Brian Steffen further elaborated, stating, “In one form or another, Chief Carter has been my supervisor in nearly every position that I have held in the Police Department. Throughout that time (nearly twenty years), he has given me great advice, counseled and coached me, helped me to develop my skills as a supervisor, but more importantly he has been a great example of how leaders act.

“I will truly miss our discussions and the frankness that he brings to the table. Chief Carter truly cares about the people of Covington as well as the officers who watch over us. I can guarantee that although he will be in retirement, his eye will always be on Covington. I congratulate Chief Carter on his retirement and wish him nothing but the best for his future.”

In addition to the Police Department, Carter collaborated with various City departments to work towards a unified vision for the betterment of Covington.

Interim City Manager Loren Wolff stated, “I’ve known Chief Carter for years thanks to his tremendous work throughout the city. He is a true example of what it means to be police officer for the community.

“He understands the connection fighting crime has in relation to the City’s economic success and overall quality of life, pushing for stronger code enforcement regulations and in listening to the needs of the citizens. He believes in the community and in Covington.”

Throughout his career, Carter has worked closely with the community to ensure Covington received the highest level of safety.

Center for Great Neighborhoods Program Director of Community Development Rachel Hastings stated, “We’ve been working with Chief Carter for over twenty years, and particularly closely in the last five years when he served as Assistant Chief and then Chief.

“Bryan’s empathy and compassion for helping the most vulnerable in our community is evident. He’s provided exceptional, honorable leadership for the Police Department as The Center has partnered with it and community leaders to improve the quality of life in Covington. We congratulate Bryan on 27 years of remarkable service to Covington and wish him the very best in the future.”

Under Carter’s supervision, the Covington Police Department collaborated with The Center for Great Neighborhoods (The Center) on various community safety projects, earning national recognition for their efforts.

In 2014, The Center and the Covington Police Department were awarded the LISC/MetLife Foundation Community Police Partnership Award for Excellence in Neighborhood Revitalization and Economic Vitality. They earned the award for their work in removing blight and rehabbing buildings to improve community safety.

In 2015, the Covington Police Department and The Center received honorable mention for the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in ProblemĀ­ Oriented Policing. As a result, Chief Carter, Assistant Chief Steffen and Rachel Hastings presented their work at the international Community and Problem Oriented Policing Conference in Portland, OR.  

Additionally, the Covington Police Department partnered with The Center on other projects, including surveillance camera registry, improved collaboration between the Police Department and citywide code enforcement, and in training residents to work effectively with law enforcement.

Carter received his Bachelors of Arts in Justice Studies from Northern Kentucky University in 1994. He then continued his education, earning his Masters of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Xavier University in 2006.

Carter also completed the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Course, 134th Session in 2014 and became a Certified Advanced Law Enforcement Officer, Supervisor, Manager and Executive with the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council in 1990.

Chief Carter has attended the IBZ Schloss Gimborn training facility in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. The conference dealt with the issue of police and human rights and was attended by officers from Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia, and Cypress.

The City of Covington will name its new Chief of Police at the Board of Commissioners Legislative meeting on Tuesday, August 22, 2017.