Photo 1: From left, Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti, rehired officers John Mairose and David Lillich, and Mayor Joe Meyer.

Photo 2: Mayor Meyer gives Mairose and Lillich the oath of office.

Two veteran officers sworn in under state retire-rehire program

COVINGTON, Ky. – Covington’s Police Department gained nearly 50 years of experience today when two retired officers were hired to one-year contracts under a special state program aimed at returning veteran officers to the street.

David Lillich and John Mairose were sworn in (again) by Mayor Joe Meyer in a brief ceremony at City Hall. They started on Sunday, May 19.

Lillich, who retired from Covington in August 2023, and Mairose, who retired from Covington in November 2019, are the seventh and eighth veteran officers participating in the program here.

“Their experience at both Covington and the other agencies they have worked for brings a unique viewpoint built on the differing experiences at multiple agencies,” Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti said. “We look forward to their contributions and insight.”

Lillich worked for Covington from 2018 to 2023 and also has experience with departments in Erlanger, Elsmere and Dayton and with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office for a combined 26 years’ experience in law enforcement. In Covington he worked in Patrol and Criminal Investigations and was a Field Training Officer. In Erlanger he was a K9 handler and SWAT team member.

Mairose worked for Covington from 2010 to 2019 and also worked for the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office, in Fort Wright, and (most recently) in Edgewood. In Covington, he worked in Narcotics, was a Field Training Officer and Firearms Instructor, and was a member of the SWAT team. He has 24 years’ law enforcement experience and was a medical specialist in the U.S. Army.

# # #