Edmond Police Chief Bob Ricks Announces Retirement

Edmond Police Chief Bob A. Ricks announced on Tuesday he will retire from his duties of Chief of Police in Edmond effective February 3, 2017.  Ricks has held the position since his hiring on October 20, 2003.

“It has been a privilege to work with the finest men and women in law enforcement. At this time, I feel it’s best to let someone else take the reins in leading this wonderful department,” Ricks said.

Ricks was born in Houston, Texas.  He received a Bachelor degree from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, in 1967, and his Juris Doctorate degree from Baylor Law School in 1969. 

His law enforcement career began in 1969, serving 26 years in Federal law enforcement, during which he rose from the position of Special Agent to Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for Oklahoma.  Three of those years (1981-1984), Ricks served with the Drug Enforcement Administration as Chief Counsel and Senior Inspector.  During his career with the FBI, he founded the New Jersey Terrorism Task Force in 1985, which led to the arrests of domestic terrorists responsible for scores of bombings in the United States.  He was appointed by President Reagan to head up “Operation Goldenrod,” which resulted in the first extra-territorial rendition of an international terrorist.  As Deputy Assistant Director, he was responsible for all FBI investigations of domestic and international terrorists.  He supervised the FBI’s most widely-known undercover operation, “ABSCAM,” which led to the conviction of one U.S. Senator and five Congressmen.  He helped lead the U.S. response to the downing of Pan Am 103.  In 1993, he was the press spokesman and coordinator of negotiators during the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco and served as the initial Incident Commander of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. 

In September 1995, Ricks was appointed Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and Cabinet Secretary for Safety and Security.  On February 21, 2002, he was appointed Director of Homeland Security for the State of Oklahoma, by Governor Frank Keating. 

In 2011, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame. 

He is an active member of Henderson Hills Baptist Church, Edmond Rotary, and a former board member of WINGS, an organization dedicated to building a community for adults with special needs.  He is a council member of CLEET, a Life Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, a member of IACP’s Homeland Security Committee, and a former Chairman of the Metro Area Chiefs’ Association.

Bob is married to Janis and is the father of two children and five grandchildren.