(CelebNMusic247-News) Dan Aykroyd Joins Sheriff Reserve Squad:
In Hinds County, if you’re wondering “Who ya gonna call,” you might end up with a real-life Ghostbuster.
In a Friday afternoon ceremony, Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis swore in actor Dan Aykroyd as the newest addition to his department’s reserve squad. Before he became an actor, Aykroyd had law enforcement experience.
Lewis said Aykroyd submitted a letter of request to join the reserve unit, and he saw it as a great opportunity for his department.
“He’s very qualified. He can hit the ground running, and he has credentials and has put in a letter of request. Today we’re going to honor that letter of request,” Lewis said.
“It’s an honor to join these ranks today. I understand the challenges that law enforcement face in today’s world,” Aykroyd said during the swearing-in.
Aykroyd served two law enforcement agencies in Louisiana for almost 16 years.
Aykroyd was given a badge by Chief Deputy Chris Picou and a uniform by Deputy Chief Ron Sampson. Before he went back to the set of “Get On Up,” a movie currently filming in the area about singer James Brown, Aykroyd had his photo taken for his Sheriff’s Department ID.
In “Get On Up,” Aykroyd plays Ben Bart, the president of Universal Attractions, who was James Brown’s manager for four decades. The movie is expected to premier Oct. 17.
“He kind of puts Hinds County on the map,” Lewis said, adding that having people with Aykroyd’s name recognition can help bring attention to the area.
“I am able to go all over the world now and talk up this county, talk up this state and talk up the people of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department,” Aykroyd said. “It’s a great honor, and I hope I can uphold my duties professionally and with integrity and honesty, and I hope to do that.”
Aykroyd also had glowing words for Lewis.
“I don’t think there’s a better dressed sheriff in the United States. This man is sure styling, and he backs it up with intelligence, integrity and real care for his personnel,” Aykroyd said.
He also said that he sees being a part of the department roster as an excuse to come back to Mississippi.
“My family fell in love with this state on the last trip down here,” he said, adding that his wife is from Tennessee and Virginia and feels a Southern kinship with Mississippians. His daughter, a correspondent on Bluesmobile Radio, has been all over the state interviewing its residents.
Aykroyd also said he had been told about a ghost in a local courthouse and that he might end up getting to do some ghostbusting as part of his duties. But in all seriousness, he said, he’s there to help however he can.
“A lot of departments can’t even afford ammunition for practice; it’s that kind of tiny little challenge that you never think of,” he said. “We’re going to be aware of that and aware of maybe doing some programs and some fundraisers to supplement the resources of the department here.”
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