Photo 1: Police Chief Brian Valenti hands badges to Kenzy Hotaling and Dale Arnold, while ...

Photo 2: Covington Mayor Joe Meyer issues the oath of office.

Two join Covington Police with swearing-in ceremony

COVINGTON, Ky. – A military police officer in the Kentucky National Guard and a security supervisor at Turfway Park received the oath of office this morning as the newest officers in the Covington Police Department.

In a brief ceremony at City Hall, Kenzy Hotaling and Dale Arnold were sworn in by Covington Mayor Joe Meyer and received their badges from Police Chief Brian Valenti.

“On the back of the badges you’ll see four words that represent our core values: integrity, professionalism, justice and compassion,” Chief Valenti said. “As long as you follow those in making decisions – in both your professional and personal lives – you’ll be successful. Congratulations, you’re now part of the team.”

Hotaling has earned numerous medals and ribbons during five years as a police officer in the National Guard. She also works as shift supervisor at Beans Café and Bakery in Dry Ridge. She has an Associates of Science degree in biology from Gateway Community and Technical College.

She will begin her training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Basic Academy.

Arnold has been a security supervisor at Turfway Park for 14 years and previously served as a deputy sheriff in the Grant County Sheriff’s Department and as a police officer for the Dry Ridge Police Department. He also worked in security and law enforcement while in the U.S. Air Force.

Already certified by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, he will report for 20 weeks of in-house training.

Meyer told the pair that they’d benefit from top-notch training and strong leadership from a police agency that has a solid reputation, has earned high-level accreditation, and strives daily to keep a good relationship with the community it serves.

“Covington’s Police Department is recognized for its excellence,” he said, “and we do have a strong relationship with the community.”

But he challenged them to prepare for the demands of a job that requires officers to fulfill a number of roles, including family counselor, social worker, and psychologist.

“You’ve got to do so much – the role you play is a lot more expansive than just (fighting) crime,” Meyer said.

# # #