Sheriff

Mike Byrd

Sheriff Mike Byrd is serving his first term as Sheriff of Jackson County. He took office January 3, 2000, having been elected in November of 1999.

Sheriff Byrd was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He is 50 years old, was graduated from Pascagoula High School, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy in Pearl, Mississippi, and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He began his career in law enforcement in 1972 with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department as a dispatcher and worked his way up to investigator. He joined the Moss Point Police Department in 1976 as a patrolman and achieved the rank of Captain in 1981. Sheriff Byrd was one of the first officers hired in the newly incorporated City of Gautier in 1987, and served there as a Captain of Police and Training Officer until he was sworn in as Sheriff.

The Sheriff is very active in law enforcement, civic, and religious activities in the community. He is a long-standing member of First United Methodist Church in Pascagoula, serving as a Board member and member of the choir. He is a member of Masonic Lodge #419, is a Master Mason, 32^nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, and Shriner with the Joppa Shrine Temple. He is also a member of Pascagoula Eastern Star #151. Sheriff Byrd has always been closely involved with the youth of the community, especially in sports. He is a member of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, coached high school and college baseball for 19 years, and was a high school football official for 3 years. He has coached Dixie Youth Baseball, was President of the Dizzy Dean Baseball League for seven years, and was a baseball official for Dixie Boys League for 13- and 14 year-olds.

Sheriff Byrd is active in the Fraternal Order of Police, and is past Vice President of Police Officers Union #65, AFL-CIO. As sheriff, he is on the Board of the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County. He is in demand as a speaker in area schools on a wide variety of subjects, including drug abuse, crime prevention, and career choices in public service.