Vernon Police Chief John Kelley, A Town Native, Announces Retirement

VERNON, CT — Vernon Police Chief John Kelley, a Vernon native and 28-year veteran of the department, has announced his retirement effective March 22.

Town officials made the formal announcement Monday.

"It's been a great honor serving my hometown as a police officer, canine officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and chief," Kelley said. "We have a tremendous team of officers and supervisors who I am confident will continue to serve Vernon with distinction and great professionalism."

The Vernon Town Council appointed Kelley police chief in 2021.

Before that, he served as the department's second-in-command for six years.

Kelley also served as a sergeant and lieutenant and managed patrol officers and detectives and oversaw investigations.

Kelley joined the police department in 1996.

As chief, John guided the department through several initiatives, including compliance with the new police accountability law. Recently, the department attained the top level of state accreditation required by the law two years ahead of the state deadline.

Kelley grew up in Vernon and graduated from Rockville High School and the University of Connecticut, where he earned degrees in sociology and criminal justice. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, where he attained the rank of sergeant.

Kelley was also known for his pleasant demeanor with members of the public and regularly attended functions like National Night Out.

Kelley John comes from a family that has a long record of public service. His father, Robert E. Kelley, was the Vernon fire chief for more than 21 years and served as a firefighter for 42 years.

Town officials have not announced a formal timetable to search fo a new chief.