Kyle Gelenius, MSCJ

Position:  Lieutenant, Lorain Police Department  
Email: kjgelen@bgsu.edu

Bio 

Lieutenant Kyle Gelenius has served as an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University since 2023. He earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor of Science from Ashland University.

In addition to his teaching, Lieutenant Gelenius is a full-time Lieutenant with the Lorain Police Department, bringing more than 20 years of law enforcement experience. As Staff Lieutenant assigned to the Office of the Chief of Police, he oversees the department's Crash Reconstruction Team and has supervised investigations involving fatal traffic crashes, officer-involved shootings, administrative investigations, and other critical incidents. He is widely recognized for his expertise in crash investigation and reconstruction and has assisted law enforcement agencies and prosecutors throughout Ohio with complex forensic investigations.

A former President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lorain Lodge No. 3, Lieutenant Gelenius has also negotiated collective bargaining agreements and represented officers in employment matters. His teaching combines evidence-based practices with real-world policing experience, emphasizing critical thinking, ethics, constitutional policing, and experiential learning. In 2025, he was inducted into the Amherst Schools Distinguished Alumni Gallery of Success and received the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association's Practitioner Award.

In addition to his professional work, Kyle is an adjunct professor at BGSU, where he teaches:

• CRJU 2200: Law Enforcement in American Society
• CRJU 3400 Drugs, Crime and Criminal Justice