The different characterization of the City of Covington’s police department by City Manager Larry Klein and Fraternal Order of Police president Bryan Bogard are well-documented, and have occasionally played out during public city commission meetings.
Those differences are being aired again now that the FOP has released its list of candidates that it has endorsed for the city elections coming up in November.
In the announcement, Bogard, the police union’s president, stated that the department is not competitive in the region in attracting new recruits due to low pay and unattractive benefits. He argued that the department’s fleet of cruisers is in need of new additions, and that new plans to address that are welcome. He also blamed Klein for a poor relationship between City Hall and the police union. “Right now we’re not having good dialogue with the city and that’s not the commission – it’s the city administration,” he said.
The FOP endorsed Joe Meyer over incumbent Mayor Sherry Carran, and also threw its support behind city commissioner candidates Michelle Williams, Timothy Downing, and incumbent Bill Wells.
“I believe this mayor and city commission have worked very hard to give the police department what it needs to serve our citizens,” Klein said in a statement to The River City News. “This commission has increased the number of police officers from 106 to 110 and added a computer forensic analyst position to assist police investigations. This mayor and commission have approved the purchase of thirty-two new police vehicles at a cost of $950,000. This mayor and commission have approved over $500,000 for the latest technology body cameras. This mayor and commission have offered significant wage increases to all ranks in the police department including more than a ten percent increase in starting pay for new officers but the FOP did not accept it. This mayor and commission have authorized an increase in the incentive pay for lateral transfers of experienced police officers from other police departments to the Covington Police Department but the FOP did not accept that proposal. The only thing standing in the way of better pay for Covington Police officers is the FOP leadership and residents need to know that.
“Covington Police officers deserve these pay increases but we are prevented by law to increase them without approval of the FOP.”
Mayor Sherry Carran said that she was not surprised not to receive the FOP’s support. The police union did not endorse her in 2012 when she defeated their favored candidate, Steve Casper. She expressed frustration that Bogard referred to Covington as the 4th most dangerous city in Kentucky, a stat created by some security-focused websites using an algorithm that includes statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“As Mayor of Covington, I cannot be more proud of our police department,” Carran said in a statement. “When I swear in new officers, I always let the families know that their loved ones will be working with the very best in Kentucky and in the region as I know it is a worry for them, especially in light of what is happening nationally. I also call out the great work of Covington’s police department in community policing and the positive difference this makes compared to other communities. So you can imagine how disturbing it was for me to hear this past week that information is being presented that Covington is the 4th most dangerous city in Kentucky. After finding out that the source of this information may be outdated and even questionable, I wonder about the intentions of those presenting it.”
The reaction from the candidates who received the FOP’s endorsement was expectedly different.
Meyer, the former state senator and secretary of education and workforce development, shared the news in a celebratory Facebook post. Williams, the former city commissioner who lost her reelection bid in 2014, said on Facebook, “Thank you FOP for this endorsement! I Look forward to working with you again.”
Downing, a first-time candidate, also issued a statement. “It is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable our police are driving police cruisers that are almost 10 years old with hundreds of thousands of miles on them,” Downing said in a news release. “My number one priority is keeping residents and our police safe. I look forward to working with every member of the police department in January as a commissioner dedicated to public safety.”
Bogard said that all the candidates who sought the FOP’s endorsement were well-prepared and knowledgeable. The union declined to endorse incumbent city commissioner Jordan Huizenga, and challengers Stuart Warren and Christi Blair. Challenger John Flesch did not seek the endorsement, Bogard said.
Written by Michael Monks, editor & publisher
Photo: Covington City Hall (RCN)
