“She always knew that I eventually would be a police officer,” said Kellogg, (photo at right), who has been appointed by Village Mayor Greg Rogers to succeed Chris Hayward as chief of the Le Roy Police Department.
Kellogg’s first day as the leader of the 18-member agency is Jan. 9 – the day after Hayward steps down after 35 years with the department.
He said he is dedicating his career to the memory of his mom, who lived in Le Roy until her passing in 2019.
The 35-year-old York Central School graduate grew up in Livingston County but has spent the past 17 years as a Genesee County resident. Hired by Hayward as a part-time officer in 2015, Kellogg said he believes this is where he is supposed to be.
“Getting into law enforcement is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “I completed an internship with the Le Roy Police Department back when I was 16 years old with Chief Hayward, who was a sergeant, himself, at that time.”
Kellogg said he completed other internships and worked in the private sector, gaining administrative and management experience as a loss prevention investigator/supervisor for Six Flags Darien Lake.
“I really enjoyed working at Darien Lake – at one time I supervised 100 seasonal security guards, EMTs (emergency medical technicians) and safety officers – but again, I always knew I wanted to get into law enforcement,” he said, noting that he worked at the amusement park for 13 years prior to leaving in 2016.
The year before, he successfully completed the Rural Police Training Academy course at Genesee Community College, and began his career in Le Roy, while also working for the Perry and Attica police departments on a part-time basis.
In 2016, Kellogg moved into a full-time role in Le Roy, and in 2019 he was promoted to sergeant.
He said when he learned that Hayward was going to retire, he jumped at the chance. He went through the interview process with a panel of business owners, church and civic leaders and police department personnel, and passed the test with flying colors.
Rogers said the department is fortunate to have Kellogg as part of the village law enforcement team.
“We have been impressed with him every day he comes to work. He’s on top of everything,” Rogers said. “While I haven’t looked forward to the day when we’d have to replace Chris, having a candidate like Greg makes it a lot easier.”
Kellogg said he is grateful for the trust placed in him by village officials.
“I’m proud and humbled to take on this role; it truly is an honor,” he said. “It’s something I’ve worked toward for a long time and I look forward to continue the community policing -- the things we’ve been involved in.”
Submitted photo.
