When nepotism policies prevented my return to the Starkville Police Department, where my uncle was a captain, that could have been the end of my law enforcement career—and it did pause it for a year. During that time I sold cars at Premier Ford, Lincoln, Mercury in Columbus. It was an interesting job, but it wasn’t what I was meant to do.
That’s why I applied for and gladly accepted the most entry-level policing position at Mississippi State—ticket writer. It didn’t make me the most popular person on campus but was the first step toward what is a very fulfilling career at Mississippi State.
Since 1996 I have held every position with the MSU Police except dispatcher and worked under every police chief the university has had except B.S. Hood. The experiences I’ve had have given me a perspective of this university and its people that most people never get to experience.
Remember the parachute accident at Davis Wade Stadium prior to the Bulldogs 17-16 upset of No. 11 Alabama in 1996? I was on duty. I can still remember the collective gasp then hush of the crowd when the sky diver landed and was severely injured. I also remember the absolute roar at the end of the game when Jackie Sherrill’s team had beaten Gene Stallings’.
Bulldog legends? I’ve shaken their hands. Performers? I’ve seen them backstage. Dignitaries? I’ve met so many. In 2008, when both former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke on campus, I was at each event and got to meet them. The same in 2013 with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Rogers with former U.S. Secretaries of State Colin Powell (2008) and Condoleezza Rice (2013) during their visits to Mississippi State University.
But it’s not the famous names or history-making events that make me love my work. It’s the people and campus that make Mississippi State so special. In fact, one of my favorite duties isn’t providing security for high-profile guests. It’s bike patrol.
Using a bicycle to patrol campus provides a level of community engagement you can’t get in a squad car. It kept me in shape and provided me with the opportunity to connect with people and see everyday campus activities from a different perspective. It’s something I really enjoy and really miss. Even though I’m not 30 anymore, I would still like to do it again.
I’ve spent over half my life here and as my career has grown and role has changed, so has the university. And that’s never more apparent than when riding around campus on a bike or patrolling the buildings—it’s amazing to see how this university has evolved. And those changes in the size and scope of the university mean our job as a police force changes, and the department has been able to adapt.
The one thing that doesn’t change at Mississippi State is the community that makes up the Bulldog family. The students are all here to learn—and have some good-natured fun like the occasional fraternity rivalry or prank among friends that gets us called out. And I am honored to get to protect and serve them as they reach their goals and become the leaders of tomorrow.
Kenneth “Kenny” Rogers was named Mississippi State’s chief of police in 2023, capping a longtime and distinguished career with the nationally accredited law enforcement agency. A native of Starkville, he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI Mississippi Law Enforcement Command College. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration in 2002 and a master’s in public policy and administration in 2016, both from Mississippi State University.