DeSoto Parish Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle released a statement on March 15 announcing his retirement. He has been serving as DeSoto Parish's sheriff for the last 17 years. In his absence, Chief Deputy Jayson Richardson has been appointed sheriff.
According to his statement, “I just want to thank the citizens of DeSoto Parish for the opportunity to serve as your Sheriff for the last 17 years. After much prayer and conversation with my family, I have decided to retire effective March 16, 2018. After 36 years of service in Law Enforcement, I feel it is time to explore other things in life. Recently, I became a grandpa to a grandchild that has experienced health issues. This has caused me to change my outlook as to what is important. During this time, my oldest son also started a law practice and will be handling criminal cases in DeSoto Parish Court system. I do not want the appearance of a conflict of interest.
