Taylor Mill Police Chief Steve Knauf passed the baton to his successor, James Mills, on Monday.
Knauf is ending 34 years with Taylor Mill’s police department, and 29 years as chief of police.
“When I was appointed chief in 1993, our department had a revolving door, and we were merely a training ground for other agencies,” Knauf stated. “However, with the support of many city commissioners, and Mayors over the years, we achieved and maintained both state and national accreditation status, where multiple officers have retired from TMPD.”
The accreditation achievement is something both Knauf and Mills worked hard for and said they are proud of.
“I had the vision, and Mills keeps it on track,” Knauf said.
Knauf attended Scott High School, but when he graduated, he still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He said he didn’t feel like college suited him at that time, so he got a job working as a bailiff at the age of 19. His dad was a Kenton County jailer, and so was his grandfather.
Knauf said he liked the job, and he thought he could become a police officer, so he did.
He became a patrolman at Taylor Mill, and the chief at the time was Dennis Bulen. Bulen became injured, and after Knauf was there a little over three years, he was appointed acting chief while Bulen was disabled; he kept that job for a year.
Since he had the experience, Knauf was appointed chief when Bulen ultimately left the job due to the disability.
From the beginning, Knauf said it bothered him that as soon as the city hired officers and trained them, they would get a better offer from another department and leave.
“We had a lot of turnover,” he said. “I knew we had to become more professional. I am proud of our transition to a professional department, and it is a destination department. We have had several people retire from here. We weren’t even in the pension system at first.”
Later, Knauf said the time was right for him to go to college, and he obtained an associate degree in law enforcement and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He also was chosen by the FBI in 1998 to attend the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, graduating with a certificate in Criminal Justice and certified as a Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Instructor and Domestic Violence Instructor. Knauf also attended the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a master’s in criminal justice.
Knauf’s career experience ranges from service with the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office, the Kenton County Detention Center, and the Covington and Taylor Mill Police Departments. He has extensive experience in investigative and supervisory assignments, such as death, drug enforcement, special investigations, sex crimes, robbery, burglary, and crimes against children. He has received numerous recommendations and letters of recognition over the years for his work and service in the field of criminal justice.
With such an extensive career, Knauf said he isn’t sure what he will do after he retires. He said he has already turned down offers of being a school resource cfficer.
“I just want to stop for a while, and think about a direction to go,” he said. “I work out, and I run about 3 1/2 miles a week, so I know I need to stay busy, at least part time, but there are quite a few jobs at home I have to take care of. I don’t rule out travel, and my youngest son is in Germany so I may visit him. I will have to do something in some capacity, but I want to see what the new normal is first.”
Overall, he thinks it is a bittersweet experience to retire and end a 34-year career, but he is looking forward to seeing what is next for him.
“I am proud to leave my post as one of the longest serving chiefs in Kentucky, and that Taylor Mill has been recognized as the safest city in Kentucky,” Knauf said. “As much as I’d like to give TMPD all of the credit for our city being ranked the safest in Kentucky, the majority of the credit goes to the good people of Taylor Mill. They have routinely backed the blue and have always partnered with the police during my entire tenure to enhance safety in the Mill.”
Knauf said he was also thankful to the mayors and commissioners who through the years have worked toward having the professional police department that Chief James Mills is now ready to take over.
“Steve has been the driver of bringing TMPD to become a first-class police department by becoming a national and state accredited law enforcement agency,” said Mayor Daniel Bell. “That means our department is one of a select group in Kentucky that meets or exceeds a specific set of standards of police work. These standards provide for the safety and welfare of the Taylor Mill community.”
Mills grew up in Campbell County, but when he became a police officer, he went to Dalton, Georgia, for about four years. He said his wife asked to come back because she was from Boone County, so they moved back to Northern Kentucky.
He and his wife and 10-year-old son reside in Alexandria.
Mills graduated from Campbell County High School and went on to get a Bachelor’s in Integrative Studies from Northern Kentucky University. He is currently working on obtaining his master’s degree in Public Administration.
Mills has been certified as a Law Enforcement Council Peace Officer, an International Police Mountain Biking Officer, and a Police Training Officer.
As far as taking over as chief, Mills isn’t planning on anything extreme.
“I don’t plan on changing much,” he said. “The department is extremely professional and runs very efficiently. I think as I go along any changes, especially at first, won’t be critical. Of course, each person has a different way of doing things, so it will be different in a way.”
Mills takes over a department of 13, two of which are SROs. Generally, there are two sergeants and one assistant chief for a city of about 7,000 people.
Mills is more than ready to assume the head position at the table, but this is a guy who knows how to relax. When it is time for vacation, he and his family go to their happy place: Disney World. Sometimes they book Disney cruises.
“The best part of cruising for us is the total disconnection,” he said. “You can sign up for internet and cell phone service, but we don’t do it, we like the disconnection. My wife and I went to Disney on our honeymoon, and we fell in love with it.”
Knauf joked that pictures of Mickey Mouse would be up on the walls of the office soon, and Mills laughingly agreed, saying they would be up before the end of the week.
“When I hired James, I knew he would be a great officer for the city,” Knauf said. “He has been every bit as good as I thought he would be. He will be an outstanding chief.”
Both chiefs rank the safety of their residents as the highest concern of the job, which also includes helping people in time of need. This is very clear when it comes to the recent honor awarded to the city for being the safest city.
The city held a special ceremony on Aug. 1 to celebrate the official pinning of James Mills and the administration of the oath of office. Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders administered the oath to Mills. His wife, Sarah, and son, Keegan fastened the new pin on Mills dress uniform coat for the ceremony.
“What happened today is a rare occurrence for our city,” Bell said. “After 30 years we are swearing in a new police chief, James E Mills Jr, who came to the city in November of 2009 as a patrol officer. We are very proud to have such high-quality Police Chiefs in our city.”
