Sheriff Danny Rigel is a native of Biloxi, MS. After finishing MGCCC and USM, he began his law enforcement career in 1982 as a patrolman with the Hattiesburg Police Department. He was promoted to Detective and was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain while assigned to the Detective Division where he served as Chief of Detectives for three years. He formulated and commanded the Metro Crime Scene Unit for three years. This unit worked all of the major crime scenes in Forrest, Lamar, and Perry Counties and is still in existence today. He was promoted to Major of Operations and served there until his retirement in 2002. He was awarded Law Enforcement Officer of the year four separate times.
Sheriff Rigel was the first composite artist from the State of Mississippi to be trained and certified by the FBI at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. He also served as Deputy Medical Examiner Investigator for nine years in Lamar County. Danny was elected Sheriff of Lamar County in 2003 and is serving in his fifth term. He is married to the former Donna Hughes of Seminary, MS, and is the father of three sons, Matthew, Daniel, and Andrew. Danny and his family are active members of Temple Baptist Church where he serves as a Deacon.
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Member of the National Sheriff's Association
Member of the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA)
Member of the Mississippi Sheriffs Association (board member and past president)
Member of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Association (board member)
Recipient of the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award (2004 and 2013)
Liberty Bell Award from the Central Mississippi Bar Association
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Certified Arson Investigator from National Fire Academy
Certified Crime Scene Analyst
Certified Law Enforcement Instructor
Graduate of FBI Crisis/Hostage Negotiator School
Graduate of Advanced Law Enforcement Supervisor's School
Graduate of Mississippi Law Enforcement Command College