BAY ST. LOUIS — After being sworn in as president of the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association, Jones County Sheriff Alex Hodge told the audience of law enforcement officials what an honor it was to serve as the head of that organization.
“I’ve looked forward to this all of my life,” he said, recalling the days he was just a tike on a bike.
“I would go around the neighborhood on my bicycle making traffic stops,” he said with a smile.
And when he was in high school at Northeast Jones, working at Laurel Machine and Foundry from his sophomore through senior years, he recalled getting a metal plate and stamping the words “Alex Hodge for S-H-E-R-R-I-F-F.” He’s since learned to spell “sheriff,” he added with a laugh.
“That’s how long this dream has been in my plan,” he’s said. “It’s part of God’s plan. None of us are here by accident if we’re here for the right reason.”
He thanked his wife of 27 years Sharla and their teenage sons Brayden and Bryson for the sacrifices they make as the family of a lifelong law enforcement officer.
Hodge was on the Mississippi Highway Patrol before being elected to his first term as sheriff of Jones County in 2007.
He was nominated for first vice president of the association by Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel four years ago, and was elected president this year. Hodge is the first Jones County sheriff to serve as president of the MSA, which was established in 1981.
The MSA includes sheriffs from all 82 counties and its mission is to represent and support members and legislation that assists law enforcement.
The organization also supports the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Boys and Girls Ranch in partnership with the Palmer Home for Children.
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