Mississippi Highway Patrol Colonel Randy Ginn has announced that he will be stepping down and passing the torch to another.
The longtime highway patrol division leader informed over 1,000 sworn-in officers as well as state lawmakers that he would be retiring during the Department of Public Safety’s first-ever “All DPS” general assembly held Thursday.
“It has been a blessing and an honor to spend my career with this great agency. I have been privileged to work with the finest professional law enforcement officers in this state,” Ginn said. “The opportunities that exist for the men and women of the Mississippi Highway Patrol far exceed anything that could have been imagined when I began. I am confident that Colonel Charles Haynes is the right man to lead this great agency into a bright future.”
Ginn has spent 33 years with MHP. He previously served as a trooper, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation special agent, MBI supervisory special agent, troop executive officer, troop commander, region major, deputy director, and chief of the uniform division.
DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell confirmed that MBI director Lt. Col. Charles Haynes will succeed Ginn effective January 1, 2024. Haynes has been serving as MBI Director since May 2022 and has worked nearly 20 years in law enforcement including time with the FBI.
“I want to thank Colonel Ginn for his lifetime of service to Mississippi. His commitment to protecting this great state and its residents is deserving of recognition and commendation by all,” Governor Tate Reeves said. “I also want to congratulate Lt. Colonel Haynes on his promotion. I have the utmost confidence in his ability and integrity, and I’m confident that he will continue to lead the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the distinguished men and women who serve in the organization, to new heights.”
