ROCKINGHAM — Their families beaming with pride, six Rockingham police officers received promotions Thursday afternoon at City Hall.
“They couldn’t do the job they do without your support,” City Manager Monty Crump told the crowd, before handing over the podium to Chief Billy Kelly.
One by one, the chief called up each officer — Edward Grant, Richard Greene, Marcus Ricks, Lee Bailey, Dusty Johnson and Lonnie Fetzer McCaskill IV — as he read through a list of their accomplishments.
Grant, who serves as the assistant chief, was promoted from captain to major. He has been with the department all 23 years of his law enforcement career and is married with four children.
Greene, the department’s patrol commander, has spent 12 of his 14½ years with RPD and was promoted to captain. He is married with two children.
Ricks, who was promoted to sergeant, has been in law enforcement for 9½ years and serves as the traffic supervisor and as a member of the SWAT Team. He is married with one child and one stepchild.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a while,” he said.
Bailey is an 18-year veteran of the force with four children. The sergeant will serve as the department’s supervisor of communications training and evidence preservation.
Johnson, a patrol supervisor and SWAT Team and field training supervisor, was promoted to sergeant. He’s been with RPD for 9½ years and is married with three children.
McCaskill, promoted to corporal, has spent nearly 11 of his 12½ years in Rockingham and is a patrol supervisor. He is married with one child and one on the way.
“I’m just excited to finally get promoted,” he said.
Kelly also commended each officer for continuing his education.
Grant, Greene, Bailey and Johnson have all received their Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, and McCaskill has obtained the intermediate certificate from the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. Ricks has applied for his advanced certificate and will receive it next month. Bailey has also obtained a criminal investigator certificate and Ricks has completed the traffic enforcement and investigation certificate from the N.C. Justice Academy.
McCaskill, Johnson, Grant and Greene have each completed the Law Enforcement Executive Management Program at N.C. State University. Grant and Greene have also completed part one of a program with the same name at Richmond Community College, while Bailey has completed both parts.
Greene and McCaskill have both earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from RCC and Ricks is currently pursuing one at Stanly Community College. Johnson currently holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UNC-Pembroke and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration.
Ricks, McCaskill and Johnson all serve on the department’s honor guard.
“There’s a lot of things wrong with the United States of America,” Mayor Steve Morris said after the presentation. Looking over at the officers, he continued, “There are six things right.”
Ricks’ family had a feeling he was going into law enforcement.
“I knew he was going to either be a meteorologist or a police officer,” said his stepmother, Amy Ricks. “He used to play cops and robbers, and I had to be the bad guy.”
She added that he seemed to have made up his mind around age 16 and had started doing ride-alongs.
His father, Mark, said he just found Ricks’ old police three-wheeler a few days ago.
“I’m proud of him,” he said. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”
Chief Kelly was also proud of Ricks, and the rest of the officers.
“I wouldn’t trade any of them for any other officer in the state,” he said.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.
