From left, Mayor Joe Meyer; new Officers Robert Rose, Lucas Mann, and Terrell Meadows; and Assistant Chief Justin Wietholter.

‘New’ officers include retired captain with 25 years’ experience

COVINGTON, Ky. – The City of Covington swore in three police officers today – two new to the career and department and one a familiar face.

In a short ceremony at City Hall before family and an array of high-ranking officers, the three – Lucas Mann, Terrell Meadows, and Robert Rose – took the oath of office and received their badges.

• Mann has been a U.S. Marine since May 2020 and before that worked at a library in California.
• Meadows most recently was a national account manager at MegaCorp Logistics and previously was a deputy jailer and field training officer at the Campbell County Detention Center.
•  Rose retired Aug. 31 from the Covington Police Department after 25 years. He’d worked his way up from patrol officer to captain and served in all four bureaus during his career, including roles as Administrative Bureau Commander, Criminal Investigations Assistant Commander, Patrol Watch Commander, Traffic Unit Supervisor, Accreditation Manager and CSU Detective. He was rehired on a one-year contract under a state program designed to help departments retain experienced officers.

Mann and Meadows will be sent downstate to attend the police academy at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training in Richmond.  

Assistant Police Chief Justin Wietholter mentioned the five words written on the back of the badges -- integrity, professionalism, justice, compassion, and respect – and said they represented the department’s core values.

“This is a stressful job – you’ve seen all the scrutiny out there … but you will find no job that is more rewarding or that has a bigger sense of camaraderie,” Wietholter said.

Mayor Joe Meyer – who issued the oath – praised the Department while acknowledging the difficulties of the job.

“Serving in the Covington Police Department is an extraordinary honor,” Meyer said. “Our Department is one of the finest in the region, with high standards, a great reputation, excellent training, and a good relationship with the community.”

He described Covington as a “small city with big-city problems,” given its location in a large metropolitan area. He stressed Covington’s diversity and called it both a strength and a source of challenges. And he talked about all the roles an officer needs to play, including social worker, psychologist, and counselor.

“Whenever society encounters a problem it can’t solve, we give it to the police,” Meyer said. “You have to do a lot.”

And, speaking directly to the relatives of the three in the audience, he talked about their importance: “A police officer cannot survive without strong family support.”

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