COVINGTON, Ky. — The Covington Police Department is on a hiring blitz, trying to fill positions amidst a national applicant shortage.

Joshua Knott and Alex Vancini have just a few weeks left until, if their supervisors deem they’re ready, they’re officially Covington Police officers.

The process from Police Academy to field training officer, where they’re at now, has taken more than a year and a half. In between, there have been physical and written tests, background checks and hours of dedication.

They’re part of what Knott calls the “COVID 5.”

“It was five of us that just endured the whole COVID stop and go, stop and go, stop and go. We all got hired together, so I just say the infamous COVID 5,” he said. “This is the phase that tests you. I would say this is the shift that we see what we have.”

The addition of two soon-to-be officers is much needed.

Police Chief Rob Nader said the way things lined up, an unusually high number of six officers are retiring this year. And, he said, the number of police applicants is down nationwide.

“We have less people taking our tests. The good thing is we’re still getting great, quality applicants,” Nader said. “We want to make sure we have people with the right heart. In other words, are you service oriented? I say the same thing in every written exam that I can go to first.”

Covington officers go through 20 or more weeks of Police Academy training, followed by 20 weeks in the field officer training program. Nader said he wants new officers to be completely ready by the time they’re out on their own.

Knott has six years of military service with the Kentucky Army National Guard under his belt. He said he thinks he can do even more good with his new police belt.

“I enjoy helping people, and I feel like being a police officer, that’s the best way I can help people,” he said.

Vancini is a hometown guy. He grew up right down the street in Covington, the community he’s now trying to earn the right to protect.

Growing up in a Hispanic household, he said it’s a path he didn’t always see for himself.

“Police wasn’t really a big word in our house. It was kind of looked at in a different way,” Vancini said. “Once you actually throw on the badge, and start your first shift, it’s a lot different than you think it is, because that’s where the real work starts.”

Though it wasn’t always clear to him, Vancini said he realized it was something he was meant to do.

“Essentially, I’ve been doing this job my whole life. I’ve always seen myself as a protector, as someone that took care of people,” he said. “This is probably the best group of guys and girls that I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve never met people that have cared as much as these people.”

That’s not the case for everyone. It’s a job many are not cut out for.

The heightened awareness of potential scrutiny on split-second decisions has raised the bar of responsibility to make their communities feel safe. Public instances of police brutality have highlighted the need for good officers, and have shown how easy it is to be exposed as something less.

Knott and Vancini said they’re ready for it.

“Everything that goes on, of course, is in the back of my mind, but still at the same time, as Chief always tells us, be you, follow the law, follow the policies, procedures, everything, and everything will be ok. I’m being me. I do everything ethically to my morals, and I have no problem with it,” Knott said.

Details of the open positions can be found on the city’s employment page. The page includes notices for lateral entry officer, entry officer or recruit, police cadet and crossing guard. A few details:

• Lateral entry: The department is accepting applications for officers with experience at other agencies. Pay is based on years of experience, with a Grade 6 officer receiving base pay of almost $64,000 a year.
• Police officer (new recruit): The department is accepting applications to take the next entrance exam, tentatively scheduled for October. It is the first step in becoming a fully qualified officer, and those who pass the test join a pool of candidates.
• A long list of benefits for Covington’s 114 uniformed officers and of the eligibility requirements for the job can be found under the “Police Officer – Entrance Exam” listing. 
• Police cadet: This part-time position is open to high school graduates who are attending college or who plan to do so this fall and are interested in a career in law enforcement. “Through the cadet program, we’re basically creating a pipeline for college-age individuals to eventually become successful officers with the City of Covington,” Wietholter said. Cadets are assigned to the traffic unit and help with accidents, traffic control and parking and generally learn the basics of police work.
• Crossing guard: This part-time position begins at the start of the school year this fall, with guards working at the beginning and end of each school day. Guards must be highly dependable and capable of working in bad weather since the safety of schoolchildren is on the line. Benefits include longevity pay and in some cases, transportation.