Just before Capt. Ryan Rickert started his law enforcement career as a jailer 20 years ago, he completed his job interview in the jail administrator’s office at Lowndes County Adult Detention Center.
Next week, Rickert’s name will be on that same office door.
“That’s going to be kind of interesting,” Rickert said. “I’m still trying to get my head wrapped around that.”
Rickert, who has worked the last four years as commander of investigations for Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, is training this week to assume jail administrator duties on Monday, Chief Deputy Marc Miley told The Dispatch. He will replace Rick Jones, who announced his retirement last week after almost three years as jail administrator and more than three decades in law enforcement.
Rickert will retain his rank of captain.
Capt. Greg Wright, a former LCSO chief deputy and investigations commander, will once again lead the investigations division, Miley said.
“(Rickert) knows what he’s doing, and he has the ability to reason things out,” Miley said. “Greg is a very seasoned officer with administrative and investigative experience. He’s done it all.
“Both are all-around good guys, and Sheriff (Mike) Arledge and I believe they will both be very successful in their new roles,” he added.
Rickert started with LCSO as a jailer in 1997 before moving to the Mississippi State University Police Department in 1999. A year later, he returned to LCSO as a patrol deputy and had worked his way up to captain and head of investigations by 2013.
Wright began working in law enforcement in 1987, serving stints with the Moss Point, Oxford and Batesville police departments. He joined LCSO in 1991 as a patrol deputy, moving up the ranks to investigator, investigations commander and then chief deputy under former Sheriff Butch Howard.
He’s most recently served as an LCSO lieutenant stationed at Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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