COVINGTON, Ky. – After nearly three decades of service, Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti is retiring, with Lt. Col. Justin Wietholter named as his successor.
Valenti, who has served as Chief since 2022, began his career with the Covington Police Department in September 1996. Most of his time as an officer, before being promoted through the ranks, was spent working third shift in the Traffic Unit as a DUI Enforcement Officer or as a detective in the D-Team. Since then, he has served in every bureau of the department—Administration, Criminal Investigations, Narcotics/Vice (D-Team), and Patrol—leaving a legacy marked by dedication and discipline. For more than 20 years, Valenti also served on the department’s Honor Guard, much of that time as Officer in Charge.
“Covington isn’t only my employer or where I work,” Valenti said. “It has become a home, a second family that can never be replaced. I am grateful to have been able to serve this great city and work alongside some of the finest people I will ever know.”
As he prepares to step away from the role, Valenti expressed full confidence in Lt. Col. Justin Wietholter as the city’s next Chief of Police.
“Lt. Col. Wietholter is by far the most logical choice to be the city’s next police chief,” Valenti said. “He has been honing his skills under my direction for the last couple of years, and I feel he is positioned to successfully overcome the challenges that are sure to be presented to him as a Chief.”
Lt. Col. Wietholter has been with the department since 2005, starting in the Police Cadet Program. He has steadily risen through the ranks, currently serving as Assistant Chief of Operations since 2022, where he oversees the department’s Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Strategic Services Bureaus, as well as the SWAT Team. His background includes leadership roles across nearly every facet of the department, from patrol and narcotics to administration and training.
A graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Wietholter also holds multiple law enforcement leadership certifications through the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council.
“I am honored for the opportunity to continue serving the City of Covington in this new role,” Wietholter said. “As someone who was raised here and has spent more than twenty years with the Covington Police Department, I’ve witnessed firsthand the city’s remarkable growth and transformation. I’m excited to lead a department committed to progress, accountability, and innovation—values that reflect the police department and the city’s dynamic future.”
As for Valenti, he’s looking forward to a slower pace.
“There are no definitive plans in the works. I’m sure I’ll play a very bad version of what some people call golf. Maybe I’ll actually get better, but I doubt it,” he joked. “My wife and I like to travel, so I’m sure that’ll be on the horizon, also. She plans to also retire at the end of the year, so for the next few months, I plan to be the best house husband I can be.”
The City of Covington thanks Chief Valenti for his decades of service and congratulates Chief Wietholter on his new role leading the department into its next chapter.