Covington shuts down 911 dispatch center for good Sunday, releases duties to Kenton County

COVINGTON, Ky. - Covington 911 dispatch will shut down for good as of 6 a.m. Sunday.

That decision was made in April by the Covington City Commission.

The dispatch center at the Covington Police Department will be shut down and the Kenton County dispatch center will later take over.

Commissioners say it's a move that could save millions of dollars. But dispatchers are worried the response time could slow down. They say they're concerned over the Kenton County dispatch centers knowledge of small roads and alleys in Covington.

The city argues the move will improve public safety.

About 16 Covington dispatchers lost their jobs because of the decision and tell 9 News they got the bad news in a letter from city hall.

Kenton County is the only county in the state with three dispatch centers.

Taxpayers in Kenton County are subject to an $85 parcel fee for 911 dispatch that appears on county tax bills. Property owners in the county may appeal the requirement to pay this fee by filling out an appeals form, which can be found at http://media2.wcpo.com/pdfs/appealsform.pdf and returning it to the Kenton County Treasurer's Office, located at 303 Court Street, Room 207, Covington, Ky., 41011. The appeals are considered by a case by case basis by the 911 Parcel Fee Appeals Board.