In 1988, two (2) banks were robbed within weeks of each othe
Our Mission
The mission of Northern Kentucky S.W.A.T. is to support the citizens of Kenton and Campbell Counties by providing professional, tactically proficient, physically fit, and emotionally stable law enforcement officers capable of responding to a wide array of critical incidents and other hazardous operations.
Our History
In 1988, two (2) banks were robbed within weeks of each other located in the City of Crescent Springs, Kenton County, Kentucky. In the first robbery, two (2) suspects, wearing body armor and armed with shotguns, held up the First National Bank on Buttermilk Pike. A lone gunman in the second robbery fired a shot before exiting the bank. Dixie Police Authority Chief of Police Gregory Popham (Ret.), concerned about the minimum four-hour response time estimated by the Kentucky State Police, developed a containment team to respond to situations beyond the capabilities of normal law enforcement officers. The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) was started and was composed of officers from the Dixie Police Authority and deputies from the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office.
In 1994, the cities of Fort Mitchell, Taylor Mill, Fort Wright, and Ludlow assigned personnel to the Emergency Response Unit. In the summer of 1999, Independence Police Department Chief of Police Shawn Butler (Ret.) proposed combining their six-man entry team with the existing Emergency Response Unit and the Northern Kentucky Emergency Response Unit (NKERU) was started.
In July 2011, The Board of Directors unanimously voted to have the Sheriff of Kenton County, Kentucky oversee the operations of NKERU. Sheriff Charles Korzenborn agreed and NKERU became Kenton County S.W.A.T. In April 2013, the Campbell County Police Department and the City of Fort Thomas Police Department in Campbell County joined Kenton County S.W.A.T. With the additional Campbell County police agencies joining since that date, the Executive Board voted to change the name to Kenton County Regional S.W.A.T. in January 2016. The collaborative effort of all the member agencies has resulted in the joining of resources into a single, fully-equipped tactical unit capable of properly handling any number of emergency circumstances that may afflict our communities that we have sworn to protect.