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Chief Michael Ferrell to retire; council confirms Deputy Chief Kevin Collins as next Covington police chief
Summary
Chief Michael Ferrell announced he will retire effective June 30, 2026, after 34 years in law enforcement. Mayor Mark Johnson nominated Deputy Chief Kevin Collins, who the Covington City Council unanimously confirmed in a roll-call vote; Collins pledged integrity and continuity.
Chief Michael Ferrell announced in a written notice that he will retire effective June 30, 2026, ending a 34-year career in law enforcement that included five years as chief of the Covington Police Department. The council read Ferrell’s letter to the body and honored his service before moving to a mayoral nomination and confirmation of his successor.
The mayor, Mark Johnson, told the council an internal succession plan had been in place and nominated Deputy Chief Kevin Collins for the post. Johnson said Collins had been promoted to deputy chief in 2025 after serving as a patrol officer, detective, criminal investigations division sergeant, lieutenant and director of training and internal affairs. Johnson noted Collins’ community work before his law-enforcement career and his academic credentials, including graduation from the FBI National Academy and a master’s degree in public safety from the University of Virginia.
Council members praised Ferrell and credited recent policing efforts with improved neighborhood safety. In remarks honoring the chief, the council noted a decline in reports of illegally discharged firearms in the West 30s neighborhood, citing annual counts presented to the council: 2020 — 55; 2021 — 43; 2022 — 32; 2023 — 6; 2024 — 9; 2025 — 2; year-to-date 0. “By simply using traffic stops as probable cause, our officers removed over 200 guns from our streets in a 24-month period,” a council speaker said while summarizing department results during Ferrell’s tenure.
After brief council comments endorsing Collins’s experience and temperament, the council held a roll-call confirmation vote. Council members Callahan, Bushnau, Roberts, Inan, Burrell, Bodsford and Barrett each voted yes; the nomination was approved unanimously. There was no recorded dissent or abstention.
Accepting the appointment, Collins thanked his family, Chief Ferrell and the council. “I do not take this responsibility lightly,” Collins said, pledging to lead the department with integrity, transparency and accountability and to remain accessible to the community.
Ferrell’s retirement is effective June 30, 2026; Collins will assume the role of police chief following the transition. The council’s action was limited to the local appointment and did not include additional policy changes or funding authorizations in the session’s record.
