Tindell to step down as public safety commissioner. Gov. Reeves appoints Capitol Police chief to succeed him

Sean Tindell will step down next month after serving six years as Mississippi’s public safety commissioner and will be replaced by Capitol Police Chief Bo Luckey, Gov. Tate Reeves announced on Friday.

Tindell, a Republican, is running for attorney general, and he confirmed with Mississippi Today that he is resigning to focus on his campaign. In a statement, Tindell said he is proud of his tenure at the Department of Public Safety and praised Reeves’ appointment of Luckey.

“Chief Luckey has led Capitol Police to a level that has exceeded everyone’s expectations, and I’m confident he will continue that success as the next Commissioner of Public Safety,” Tindell said. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and look forward to the opportunity to serve the people of Mississippi in other capacities in the future.”

Tindell has led DPS since Reeves nominated him to the post in 2020. Tindell previously served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals for three years and represented the Gulfport area in the state Senate for five years.

Tindell will remain at DPS until Nov. 30 to assist with the transition, Reeves said.

Luckey has served as chief of Capitol Police, a state-run unit that patrols parts of Jackson, since Reeves appointed him in May 2022. During that time, the Republican-controlled Legislature expanded the department’s jurisdiction, giving it more terrain to patrol in Jackson amid concerns over crime.

Capitol Police is a division of the Department of Public Safety.

Before his time as Capitol Police chief, Luckey was an investigator in the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. He has also worked for the Brandon Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to accept Governor Reeves’ appointment as Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety,” Luckey said in a statement. “I am grateful for his trust and the opportunity to continue serving the people of Mississippi.”

Reeves said Luckey is ready to lead DPS.

“His work has made our capital city and state safer,” Reeves said. “He has years of law enforcement experience and is the right person to lead the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. I’d like to thank Sean for admirably serving our state and wish him well in the next chapter of his career.”