Photo: Mayor Pro Tem/Commissioner Ron Washington, new PD recruit Samantha Meredith, and Covington Chief of Police Brian Valenti.

‘I’ve always wanted to be a police officer’

COVINGTON, Ky. – Covington Police Department’s newest recruit is a graduate of the agency’s Police Cadet Program and is completing her degree in Criminal Justice from Northern Kentucky University.

Samantha Meredith was sworn in by Mayor Pro Tem/Commissioner Ron Washington this morning and received her badge in a ceremony at City Hall.

Washington, a retired police officer himself, noted the importance of the position and the positive relationship that Covington officers have with the community and its residents.

Meredith completed the Police Cadet Program, which requires at least 18 months of in-service training within the Covington Police Department, where cadets learn federal, state, and local laws and ordinances, the basics of police work, and general knowledge of the job through training, observation, and independent study.

“I started with the Cadet Program, got my foot in the door, and was in the program for about a year and a half,” Meredith said. “As soon as I turned 21, I took the written test and passed. I’m excited about the opportunities. I’ve always wanted to be a police officer.”

Meredith said she moved to Northern Kentucky from northeast Ohio to attend NKU and pursue police work. Prior to participating in Covington’s Cadet Program, she attended more than 20 officer ride-alongs with the Calcutta Police Department in East Liverpool, Ohio.

Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti said he looked forward to Meredith’s evolution and said the Cadet Program did exactly what it was intended to do – provide a foundation in learning that set future officers on a career path.

“It’s great to have someone who’s gone through our Cadet Program, to learn through our program,” Valenti said. “She’ll be an asset to the department.”

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