COVINGTON, Ky. — Covington police chief Rob Nader’s office is looking a little bare.

“It’s a little emotionally painful to walk away from 25 and a half years—me coming in as a kid at 21 and leaving at 47,” Nader said. 

What You Need To Know

  • Police Chief Rob Nader has been on the Covington Police Department for 25 years

  • He started as a patrol officer and worked his way up to chief- a role he’s been in for the last 5 years

  • He is retiring after 25 years. Aug. 31st is his last day

  • Assistant Police Chief Brian Valenti will serve as interim chief

Nader recently announced his retirement after spending 5 years as police chief and another 20 years with the department beforehand. He’s got family, golfing, and some house projects to occupy him as he begins the next chapter in his life. 

Covington Police Chief Robert Nadar (City of Covington)

“I have a lot of projects I’ve been putting off through the years mostly because of my bachelors, masters, going through training and then becoming chief. I always said when I retire I’ll work on this. I’ll work on that—through the house and that time’s coming,” Nader said.

Nader helped the department receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Covington was first accredited in 2017. This means the department has voluntarily met an established set of professional standards.

Nader has seen Covington change during his time with the force. Since he’s been chief, violent crime has dropped slightly. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, in 2015, Covington received 173 reports of violent crime, which include homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. 45% of those cases, 78 incidents were cleared. In 2020, the last year for data, violent crime declined with only 154 reports coming in to the police department. 91 of those cases were cleared, nearly 60%.

Nader said he’s always felt called to public service and wanting to do good by others in a community he calls home.

“My favorite stories are the ones that people would find the most boring. You know it’s either helping someone whose car broke down on the expressway and they’re grateful, sometimes neighborhood disputes, missing juveniles, finding missing a juvenile. Those kinds of things. Most people think all the big action stories, but it’s the small things that are more special,” Nader said.

Even though he’ll leave the office for the last time, it’s these stories he’ll take with him.

“I will never be here again, so it’s kind of weird to say goodbye to something I truly loved and the office wasn’t just it—it’s the whole department and the men and women in it. It’s the city itself.”

Nader’s last day is Aug. 31. Assistant Police Chief Brian Valenti will be interim chief.