Sheriff Candidate Ricky Pollard

Ricky Pollard, thank you for joining us on The Permanent Record.

Before we get started with some questions, why don't you tell us a little bit about your background? Tell us where you came from and why you are running for Shelby County Sheriff this year.

My name is Ricky Pollard, and I stay here in the city.

I stay in the city.

I've been with the Sheriff's Department over 21 years, going on 23, matter of fact.

Um, I was, uh, I'm a field commander there with the fugitive, uh, Sheppard County Fugitive Union.

I work, uh, overnight, work overnight.

And I, um, I have an associate's degree in criminal justice.

Okay.

And, um, I wanted to become sheriff because, um, I've been here and I've been seeing a lot of things within the Sheriff's Department to try to change the dynamics of the Sheriff's Department.

For sure.

And I tell people this all the time.

I am not a politician.

And I came in here because...

From the top up down to my level as a sergeant, I see things that need to be changed.

And I see things that need to be changed immediately.

Because it's a lot of things we, the citizens out here, really don't know about the chair department because of the transparency.

But if I'm elected chair, you know, we're going to be open up to the public because we're going to let the public know what's going on.

out here within our jobs and our duties.

Yeah, well, I hope we'll get to a lot of those things, but say a little bit more about transparency, if you will.

What are the kinds of things that you want to make more transparent as the sheriff?

I want the people to be, I want the people not to be afraid to to come and speak with deputies when they're out on their beat, even when they're coming downtown.

I want people not to be harassed.

I want people to be safe.

And I know 201 is what they call it, a building that's been not well kept.