- Officer Grade 5
Officer Ray Lay began serving the City of Bellevue as a reserve Police Officer in 1976. He became a full time officer in October of 1978, and has been serving as a dedicated officer ever since. With over 25 years of service, not only is Ray one of the most dedicated officers, he is also the longest serving officer on the department.
Officer Lay completed his service on October 31, 2003. As of that date, Officer Lay stopped work and stopped contributing to his pension account. I hesitate, however, to refer to that decision as "retirement", because Ray Lay has decided to return to work for the Bellevue Police Department on December 1, 2003. Thankfully, Bellevue will only be without the dedicated service of Ray Lay for the month of November. In December, Ray will be back at work, patrolling our city streets and parks.
Ray was in his 20’s when he first came to work for Bellevue after leaving Shulte Corporation, a company that finished metal fixtures, such as facets for bathrooms and kitchens. His time as a reserve officer sparked his interest in Law Enforcement enough that he soon realized that he wanted to be a Police Officer on a full time basis. I believe that it is Ray’s desire to help other people that has made him such a success in this career.
Ray has been married to his wife, Tina, for nine years. He has three adult children and a stepdaughter who still lives at home. Ray has a strong interest in automobiles, particularly those from the 1950’s to the early 1970’s. His project car is a 1967 Chevelle that he enjoys working on when his busy life permits. His mechanical abilities give his friends and family a place to turn when they have a need for repairs, large or small. And Ray never turns them away without trying to help.
Another of Ray’s enjoyments is to sing Karaoke. Ray has an amazing voice and he displays his talent in local places such as the Bellevue Vets or the Final Lap in Dayton. Ray’s son, Glenn, operates a Karaoke machine, and Ray can often be seen with Glenn and the rest of his family. Retired Bellevue Police Officer, Joe Chandler, is also a frequent companion of Ray’s when he is singing.
Law Enforcement has changed dramatically in the time that Ray Lay has served. When Ray first started, the police officers where not well equipped to help serve the public. Ray spent his own money at that time to ensure that he had the tools and equipment he needed to assist others. Officer Lay was one of the first officers in the area to have a cruiser equipped with tools and lockout equipment to assist stranded motorists. He has always been more focused on the service aspect of police work than on the enforcement aspects.
However, Officer Lay does have a special talent for enforcement, too. In past years, Officer Lay spent considerable time investigating property that was sold to local jewelry stores or pawnshops, looking for stolen property. Officer Lay was able to close many theft cases because of the working relationship he established with businesses like Cleves and Lonnemann Jewelry Store and others.
Officer Lay’s training often focuses on advanced patrol techniques, such as advanced driving and pursuit classes, advanced firearms training, and community oriented policing practices.
Officer Lay has received several awards during his career, including a "Top Gun" award for his firearms proficiency. He also recently won a department wide shooting competition, and he has been presented with several performance awards over the past 18 months. Officer Lay was also named the SB Comp Officer of the Quarter in September, 2003.
But I believe that Officer Ray Lay’s greatest attribute is his friendly, helpful nature. I have often referred to him as the nicest man on the planet, and I firmly believe that to be true.
So in December when Ray Lay puts his uniform back on, please take a moment to let him know how much his dedication to the city is appreciated. Bellevue is a better place because of Officer Ray Lay.
Officer Lay can be reached at ray.lay@bellevueky.org.