“Does he still want this job?” Covington Mayor Joe Meyer jokingly asked at Tuesday night’s city commission meeting.
Interim Police Chief Brian Valenti replied with a simple, “yes sir.”
Covington is planning to promote Valenti to the Chief of Police at next week’s regularly scheduled Covington city commission legislative meeting. If approved, Valenti would assume the role on Sept. 14.
“This is an opportunity that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time,” Valenti said. “As young officers we think, ‘I’m going to be Chief one day!’ That is usually said with bright, wide eyes not realizing that most of us will never get the opportunity.”
The promotion follow former Police Chief Rob Nader’s retirement. Nader hung up his badge after a 25-year career in law enforcement in which he served for five years as the Covington Chief of Police.
Valenti has been with the Covington Police Department since 1996, and has progressed through the ranks serving in various law enforcement roles.
“A lot of things have to fall into place and a lot of hard work must happen between, ‘I’m going to be Chief one day,” and “I’m going to be Chief,’ still said with wide eyes although maybe not as bright,” Valenti said.
In 2019, Valenti was appointed to assistant police chief. In this role he was tasked with the responsibility to plan, direct, manage and oversee the activities and operations of the department.
This included law enforcement, criminal investigations, community relations, traffic control measures, and crime prevention. He also coordinated activities with other departments and outside agencies.
Valenti previously served as a patrol officer, traffic officer, honor guard member, narcotics detective, field training officer program coordinator, city dispatch center sergeant and lieutenant, patrol lieutenant, records unit supervisor, information technology lieutenant, public information officer, detective bureau lieutenant and patrol bureau commander.
Originally from Cincinnati, Valenti is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, where he obtained a degree in computer informatics technology and a master’s in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University. Valenti is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
