Sheriff Jayson Richardson would like to announce the retirement of Sergeant Carol Sue Richardson from the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office. A very special retirement party was held on March 8th where dozens of co-workers, family, friends, and other recent retirees came to congratulate Sgt. Richardson on her more than 28 years of service with DeSoto, and 35 years overall in law enforcement!
Carol Sue Richardson began her career in law enforcement in 1983 with the Logansport Police Department under then Chief, Ray Barber. She claims, “I was as green as green could be, having absolutely no idea what I was doing, with a lot to learn.” After sharing some of her more comical stories with the crowd, she went on that she then chose a job with DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office under then Sheriff Frenchie Lambert shortly after. She later left to work in Alabama for the Orange Beach Police Department for a few years before returning to DeSoto Parish to finish out her career. Sgt. Richardson has worked under four DeSoto Sheriff’s including Hugh Bennett, Rodney Arbuckle, and retiring under the leadership of Sheriff Jayson Richardson. Over her vast career she has served as a Logansport Dispatcher, later becoming a K9 Officer, and Logansport Patrol Deputy. She was later promoted to Corporal and eventually to Sergeant under Sheriff Arbuckle where she says, “I did whatever it was that needed to be done.” She retires after working years at the Logansport Substation, having done just that.
Logansport Mayor, Judge Cordray, presented Sgt. Richardson with a plaque of recognition for her years serving the Town of Logansport with “Honor, Dedication, and Selflessness.” She said, “I’m not leaving because I had a bad job or a bad boss, because I have had the best in both. I have always been told, ‘You will know when it’s time.’ and I know it’s my time to start the next chapter of my life now. When I consider what the future will hold with such a drastic change I think of Psalm 121:7-8 that says, ‘The LORD will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
In conclusion, Sgt. Richardson says, “I look forward to visiting my second home in Orange Beach, AL. After working there and getting to know so many people it has always been my home away from home. Now that I’ve retired, I hope and pray that I have made a difference. I hope that I’ve given some hope that did not have it before. I hope I have done my job well, and will be remembered as someone that truly cared. My mama always told me that you will learn that this world does not owe you anything. You alone help make the world what it is. Always do your best because you will always have someone watching, and you can make a difference in their life by your own actions.”
Sheriff Jayson Richardson and staff congratulate Sgt. Richardson on a job well done, and a career worthy of being celebrated. Carol Sue has been a staple of what it means to be a sweet person who gives from the heart, in both our department and the town of Logansport as well. She’s widely known, widely respected, and loved by many. We wish her a long happy and relaxing retirement in the days to come.
