Time Rewind: Strategic investments elevate Kenton County Police Department

Time Rewind is a series where we dive into the operations of Kenton County's departments.

A common misconception about the Kenton County Police Department is that it solely serves the unincorporated areas of the county. And while the department does serve as the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated Kenton County, its scope of work extends countywide.

In fact, KCPD provides support services to police departments throughout Kenton County, bringing with them expertise and skill sets not commonly found at local police departments. That includes detectives equipped to conduct complicated criminal investigations, an Internet Crimes Against Children detective and a Federal Aviation Administration-certified drone team.

This expertise would not be possible without infrastructure improvements and personnel investments implemented over the past nine years.

“The Kenton County Police Department is Northern Kentucky’s third busiest department,” Chief Michael "Spike" Jones said. “Over the past nine years, we’ve adjusted how we operate and focused on building our skill sets and bench of talent to better protect the residents of Kenton County.”

Improved equipment increases reliability

Field work for police officers is often unpredictable. That’s why it’s paramount officers have quality equipment to help them execute their jobs.

For this reason, the Kenton County Police Department has made significant investments in improving the technology our officers have at their disposal.

That includes establishing a fleet management program in 2015 to replace old vehicles with high mileage. Now, the County’s 38-vehicle fleet ranks among the region’s best.

But these needed upgrades extend beyond patrol vehicles. In 2019, KCPD used drug forfeiture money to purchase a sprinter van for evidence collection and traffic reconstruction assignments. Having such a vehicle is critical when providing support services to other County police departments..

Other technology upgrades include:

• Updated firearms

• Body cameras for all officers

• New bullet-proof vests

With the Kenton County Fiscal Court’s help, the department also constructed an on-site evidence storage facility.

Investments in personnel strengthen expertise

When Jones was sworn in as the department’s chief in 2015, one of the first tasks he took on was restructuring the department to create efficiencies and build capacity.

This restructuring led to the creation of four new positions: an assistant chief and three patrol officers.

And in more recent years, the department’s roster has expanded to include school resource officers in schools throughout unincorporated Kenton County and a quick response team officer who works directly with those suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues to improve their outcomes.

Today, KCPD includes 38 sworn officers.

By expanding the department’s bench of talent, KCPD is able to build its specialty units, providing vital skill sets to city-run agencies and creating new pathways for growth for its team members.

For instance, KCPD was the first department within Greater Cincinnati to have a FAA-certified drone team. Now, that team is routinely called upon to help search for missing persons and reconstruct traffic accidents.

Meanwhile, KCPD’s criminal investigations team routinely works with cities to help run investigations for complicated felonies, such as homicides, robberies and financial crimes.

“We’ve worked hard to lay the foundation for the success we’re now seeing,” Jones said. “Our team cares deeply about the public we serve, and we’re proud to be a resource and asset to our community.”

What comes next

In January, Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann swore in four new police recruits for KCPD, one of the department’s largest classes of recruits in decades.

Other investment opportunities for the department moving forward include:

• Looking for new ways to improve the functionality of Kenton County’s public safety infrastructure in Independence

• Upgrading officers’ equipment to ensure their safety

• Providing new training opportunities to existing officers to grow their skills

“The Kenton County Police Department is a team that shares a commitment to keeping our community safe,” Jones said. “We’ve worked hard to bring in officers who are driven by this mission, and now, we’re focused on giving them the tools they need to succeed, whether it’s equipment for the field or training in the classroom.”