The Covington Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency that provides 24 hour protection for the Village of Covington and its residents. In addition to motor patrol, the department makes use of bicycle patrol, certified evidence technicians, and manages a full-time school resource program. The department is led by Chief Lee Harmon, and staffed with an additional five full-time officers, as well as a certified police auxiliary unit. The Department prides itself on being a “community friendly” organization that encourages open dialogue with the people they serve.
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Covington Police Department
1 South High Street, Covington Ohio 45318
Emergency Phone: 911
Office Phone: 937-473-2102
Office Fax: 937-473-3853
Lee Harmon, Police Chief
Chief Lee Harmon has been has been part of the Covington Police Department since 1994 and became the Chief of Police in 2002.
Harmon is a 1984 graduate of Bradford High School and The Upper Valley Career Center and served honorably from 1985 until 1992 with the United States Air Force as a Military Policeman. Harmon was honorably discharged from the Air Force at the end of Desert Storm as a non-commissioned officer.
Chief Harmon studied Criminal Justice at Edison State Community College, and holds the Title of “Certified Law Enforcement Executive” awarded to him by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. Lee is a former member of the Covington Fire Department and Rescue squad, and currently maintains his state certifications as firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Lee is the Vice-president of the Covington Board of Education, and is an active member of the Covington Noon Optimist. Chief Harmon is also an instructor for the Law Enforcement Academy at Edison State Community College.
“I enjoy helping people and doing all I can to make our community a great place to live,” he said of his involvement in the Covington community.
Steve Blei, Police Officer
Officer Blei moved into the community after joining the Covington Police Department in 1999. Previously, he had served with the Cridersville and Anna Police Departments and was the Head of Security at NK Parts Industrial and Security Supervisor at Honda Manufacturing.
A graduate of Cuyahoga Community College and Kent State University, Officer Blei utilizes his knowledge and experience to train other officers within the department, as well as teaching at Wright State University and Edison Community College.
Being a police officer is very rewarding to Officer Blei due to the relationships he has built over the years.
“I enjoy working with the Covington community, especially the children,” he said. “It’s so rewarding to have a positive impact on their lives.”
Officer Blei has two sons.
Aaron Zuhl, Police Officer
Officer Zuhl joined the Covington Police Department as an Auxiliary Officer in January of 2015 and became a full-time officer in October of the same year as he has made a career of helping others.
In 1995, Officer Zuhl became a Firefighter and EMT. After graduating in 1997 from the paramedic program, he was employed by the City of Piqua Fire Department from 1998 to 2007. He continued his EMT career in the private sector as a critical care transport paramedic and in 2014 he attended the Basic Peace Officer Academy at Edison Community College.
Throughout his career, Officer Zuhl has found his experience very rewarding.
“I enjoy my contact with the public,” he said. “My position as a Police Officer allows me to continue my role in public safety and give back to the community. I’m still an active Paramedic, skills I’m able to use in my role as a Police Officer.”
Officer Zuhl moved to the Covington area in 2013 after meeting his wife. In his spare time he enjoys his role as a Scout Master for Covington Troop 343 and coaching his son’s baseball team.
Tim Cline, Police Sergeant
Officer Cline joined the Covington Police Department as a Patrolman and School Resource Officer in 2014, positions he takes great pride in.
“Since I am the School Resource Officer, I have the privilege of interacting with every student in the Covington Exempted Village School District,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to be a positive role model for so many kids.”
Officer Cline is a 2006 graduate of Arcanum High School and a 2010 graduate of Ball State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology. He was a Firefighter and EMT for Versailles Fire and EMS for six years and worked for two private EMS providers prior joining the Covington Police Department.
He is a Certified School Resource Officer through the National Association of School Resource Officers and is also the departments A.L.I.C.E. Instructor and a CPR/First Aid Instructor.
Office Cline moved to Covington with his wife in 2015 and enjoys being a member of the community.
“We chose Covington due to it being a small community with an excellent school system,” he said.
Russell McNeil, Police Officer
Officer Russell McNeil is a 1995 graduate of Houston High School. Russell worked in the culinary arts for nearly 23 years and love’s cooking. Russell has been featured in the Shooting Sportsman and has published recipes in the Chefs Gone Wild. Russell passionate about serving his community and helping others.
Russel decided to leave the profession to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer and serving his community. He graduated from the Edison State Community College Police Academy in 2009 where he was commissioned at the Shelby County Sheriffs Department as an Auxiliary Deputy.
Officer McNeil was hired by the Covington Police Department as an Auxiliary Police Officer later that year and he worked with the police department until 2013. Russell then went to work for the Anna Police Department where he still currently works on a part-time basis. He was hired full-time by the Village of Covington in 2019.
Russell loves the outdoors and spending time with his family and friends.
AJ Hickman, Police Officer
Officer Hickman is a 2015 graduate of Miami East High School and a graduate of Edison State Community College with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. In his two years at Edison, AJ was a member of the basketball team after earning an athletic scholarship.
After graduating from Edison, Hickman joined the Police Academy in the summer of 2017 and graduate in December of that same year. While in the academy, AJ was also employed as a Corrections Officer at the Shelby County Jail and was sworn in as a Special Duty Officer for the Sheriff Office after graduating from the academy in December of 2017.
Officer Hickman joined the Covington Police Department as a Patrolman in September of 2018.
“I love being a police officer because every day I come to work it gives me the opportunity to help someone and I have the chance to deal with
something different every day,” Officer Hickman said. “I like working in the Covington community as it is very family oriented and we all help each other out. In my free time I love to spend time with my wife Emma and black
lab Dolly. I also enjoy fishing, hunting, and kayaking with my friends and family. I also love to cook out and go to the shooting range.”
Frank Campbell, Records Clerk
Frank Campbell joined the Covington Police Department in 1997 as a Records Clerk after retiring from the Bradford Police Department.
“I enjoy helping people when they come into the office,” he said of being the Records Clerk. “I also enjoy helping the younger officers get acclimated when they join the force.”
Frank is a graduate of Bradford High School and the Montgomery County Police Academy. Frank also spent nine years as a member of the Bradford Police Department from 1988 until retiring in 1997.