Mayor Joe Meyer administers the Kentucky Constitution's oath of office to newly hired officer Joshua Durairaj.

COVINGTON, Ky. - The background of Covington's newest police officer combines law enforcement, military service, and religious study.

Joshua Durairaj - most recently an officer with the Louisville Metro Police Department - was sworn in this morning by Mayor Joe Meyer during a short ceremony at City Hall. His hiring was approved by the Covington Board of Commissioners on March 24.

Durairaj served in Louisville for 4½ years. He also served with the U.S. Army Reserves for almost seven years, where he worked in the chaplain's office. He has a degree from Maranatha Baptist University and is working on his Masters' degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He's also fluent in American Sign Language.

Police Chief Rob Nader said that Durairaj would start patrolling Covington after a short training period.

"With this hire, the Covington Police Department will be at full strength - a place we haven't been since January 2019," Nader said. "Since he's already a fully trained officer, even though the state training academy is currently shut down, we can add an experienced officer to the streets in a relatively short period. That's critical given this difficult time."

 

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Practicing state-mandated "social distancing" in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, middle, and Police Chief Rob Nader stand with new officer Joshua Durairaj just after he was sworn in.