Medina picks Corey Black to serve as new police chief

Photos by Tom Rivers: Corey Black takes the oath of office as Medina’s new police chief during the Village Board meeting this evening in the Shelby Town Hall. Mayor Debbie Padoleski administers the oath while Black’s wife Marilyn holds the Bible.

MEDINA – The Medina Police Department has a new police chief is a veteran local law enforcement officer.

Corey Black started as Medina police chief today. He retired about a year ago as an investigator with the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force after 10 ½ years in that role. Before that he worked 20 years in the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy, sergeant and investigator.

Corey Black smiles after being sworn in as Medina police chief. He is joined by his wife Marilyn during the swearing in.

He has been part of the marine patrol for the Sheriff’s Office since July 2025.

He was appointed to lead the Medina Police Department, which has seen an exodus of officers and leadership to other departments that are much higher-paying. The Medina Police Department has been without a new contract for over three years. Mayor Debbie Padoleski said she wants an arbitrator to make a ruling seen on the contract. She said the village is currently stuck with the old contract with the low pay that makes recruitment and retention very diffiult.

Another officer, Dustin Meredith, submitted his resignation, effective today. The department is only about half strength and has lost its previous chief, Christian Navas, and a sergeant, Jacob Reeves, to the Sheriff’s Office. Other officers have also joined other departments.

Black said he welcomes the chance to rebuild and lead the Medina PD.

“There is a need and I feel I have a lot to offer,” Black said after this evening’s swearing in ceremony. “I still have a lot of gas in the tank.”

Black, 54, will be paid a $95,000 salary as Medina police chief. Mayor Padoleski said the board interviewed five candidates for the job. She is impressed by Black’s experience.

Black said he believes working at Medina PD will be enticing to officers.

“It’s a young department so there is room for growth,” he said. “The community here is great.”

The board this evening also cancelled a contract with Flock safety for three mounted license plate readers in the village. The board in November approved Flock setting up the plate readers at three locations in the village. The cameras never were installed and the board has since had concerns about surveillance and how the data would be used.

Padoleski and Trustee Scott Bieliski both said the board is committed to hiring more police officers. They said Medina is currently hamstrung with the contract in arbitration.

“This board wants to work with our police department,” Bieliski said during this evening’s meeting. “We want to build the police department back to where it should be. We want to work with our officers.”

The Medina PD currently is at half strength. The department should have 12 officers, but currently has six with the police chief, two sergeants and three other officers.

Corey Black has family and friends in law enforcement. Pictured form left include George barton, an Orleans County deputy and Kendall school resource officer who is dating Black’s daughter Haley; Black’s son Dillon Black, a sergeant at the Albion Police Department; Corey Black; and Devon Pahuta, Black’s stepson and an investigator with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.