COVINGTON – The Village of Covington received a great application for a Police Chief from David Friend, a legendary individual who has had a huge impact in several communities throughout his contributions in Police Departments. Fortunately, Covington hired Friend in the position as the Police Chief, which puts the Village of Covington into ideal situations for security.
David Friend’s resume is impressive as he opened up his law enforcement career at Covington back in the 1970s and extended at Tipp City for 27 years and also served at Milton-Union and Amelia for several years. He also was a Police Chief in Minster for nearly ten years.
More of his resume included degree from the University of Cumberland in Kentucky and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice focused on Public Administration from Tiffin University. He also holds Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) and Certified Law Enforcement Executive (CLEE) certifications and has completed ongoing professional training.
Most of the residents in Covington that have relationships with David Friend is due to his officiating in the sport of wrestling. Plus, he is a close friend with Covington’s legendary former wrestling coach Tom Barbee.
The Village of Covington announced the hiring of David Friend on July 6, 2026 and he was sworn in by Mayor Lee Harmon with a large amount of residents present.
David Friend now takes over the position that was highly successfully committed by recently former Police Chief Tim Cline.
