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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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| Covington Police Chief Lee Russo |
Police Chief Lee Russo and the City of Covington have decided to part ways, reaching a reportedly amicable agreement to separate earlier this week. Russo has been chief since 2007 and was re-signed as an at-will employee in December following the expiration of his initial five-year contract. That December vote by the Mayor and City Commission was 3 - 2 in favor, with City Commissioners Shawn Masters and Steve Frank voting against, and City Commissioners Steve Casper and Sherry Carran along with Mayor Chuck Scheper voting in favor. A provision in the new agreement called for Russo to receive a six-month severance package should he be relieved of his duties without cause, a provision that will be in effect following this decision.
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"I appreciate the opportunity that I was given to serve as police chief," Russo, 47, said in a statement. "I want to express my appreciation to the city commission and citizens for their trust and support. Most of all I want to thank the men and women of the Covington Police Department for their support without which most of the accomplishments that we have achieved in the last five years would not have been possible. I am proud to have served with you and encourage each of you to continue on the path that we have forged together."
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Hired from the Baltimore County Police Department in Maryland in 2007, Russo was the first chief hired from outside the Covington Police Department. While noticeably popular in many parts of the community his reign was marked by contention and low morale among the rank and file within the department. In 2009, the Fraternal Order of Police approved a vote of no confidence in the chief by a 94% to 6% margin.
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Hired from the Baltimore County Police Department in Maryland in 2007, Russo was the first chief hired from outside the Covington Police Department. While noticeably popular in many parts of the community his reign was marked by contention and low morale among the rank and file within the department. In 2009, the Fraternal Order of Police approved a vote of no confidence in the chief by a 94% to 6% margin.
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| Russo (L) and Spike Jones (R) at Friday morning's ceremony at the NKY Police Memorial |
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The news of Russo's impending departure which will formally take place in the coming weeks was whispered throughout the past week but became official following the solemn annual ceremony at the Northern Kentucky Police Memorial in Covington Friday morning. City Manager Larry Klein told The River City News that the separation was amicable. "This is not meant in any way to diminish what he has done," Klein said, adding that Russo was hired to be an agent of change within the department. In a release from the City of Covington, Klein highlighted Russo's record of community policing and noted that there were continued reductions in both major and violent crimes.
The news of Russo's impending departure which will formally take place in the coming weeks was whispered throughout the past week but became official following the solemn annual ceremony at the Northern Kentucky Police Memorial in Covington Friday morning. City Manager Larry Klein told The River City News that the separation was amicable. "This is not meant in any way to diminish what he has done," Klein said, adding that Russo was hired to be an agent of change within the department. In a release from the City of Covington, Klein highlighted Russo's record of community policing and noted that there were continued reductions in both major and violent crimes.
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In the release, Mayor Scheper said that he reviewed statistics that indicate a twenty-five percent drop in major and violent crimes over Russo's tenure. "Chief Russo has made a concentrated effort to take steps to reduce crime, record and use data in a strategic manner, and he has emphasized community policing," Scheper said. "I wish him well and thank him for his service."
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Assistant Police Chief Spike Jones, a Covington Police employee for twenty-four years, will take over as acting chief as the city prepares its search for a permanent replacement. Klein told The River City News that it is likely that the city will hire an executive search firm to find Covington's next chief, a search that will likely be national in scope. Russo has agreed to assist the city in its transition of leadership.
Assistant Police Chief Spike Jones, a Covington Police employee for twenty-four years, will take over as acting chief as the city prepares its search for a permanent replacement. Klein told The River City News that it is likely that the city will hire an executive search firm to find Covington's next chief, a search that will likely be national in scope. Russo has agreed to assist the city in its transition of leadership.
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Russo's departure also follows an internal review that will encompass each department within the City of Covington. Klein said that the recommendations from the Management Partners report on the police department, which was reviewed first along with the fire department, are still in the draft stage and that no single event led to the amicable separation.
Russo's departure also follows an internal review that will encompass each department within the City of Covington. Klein said that the recommendations from the Management Partners report on the police department, which was reviewed first along with the fire department, are still in the draft stage and that no single event led to the amicable separation.
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