Picayune Police Department

08/31/2026

SCAM ALERT!!

We have been made aware of individuals calling citizens and informing them that they have an active warrant for their arrest. These individuals are going as far to give the name of a valid law enforcement officer employed by either the Pearl River County Sheriff's Office and the Picayune Police Department. At no time will either agency ever contact you to settle a warrant over the telephone. We also will not make threats of arrest unless money is paid. When dealing with questionable calls before you ever make payments to unknown individuals you can contact either the Pearl River County Sherriff's Department or the Picayune Police Department to verify the validity of any of these calls by contacting Pearl River County Central Dispatch at 601-749-5482.

08/27/2026

Please join us in congratulating Lieutenant Sean Talley for completing the Mississippi Certified Investigators Program. Lt. Talley serves as the Assistant Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division and has attended this class for the past 8 months while ensuring he still continued actively investigating matters for the police department. During his training Lt. Talley learned up to date investigative tools in numerous sections of criminal investigations including homicide investigations, human trafficking, cyber investigations and more.

Congratulations Lt. Talley on a job well done!!

08/24/2026

🎮 Power Up Your Community! ⚡
Join us for this year's National Night Out as we celebrate the people, organizations, and partnerships that help make our community stronger every day.
From public safety and local businesses to schools, nonprofits, and community organizations, each vendor will feature their own unique "Power-Up" through interactive activities, demonstrations, and family-friendly fun.
Come discover how we all play a role in building a safer, stronger community—because every power-up makes a difference.
📅 Date: Tuesday October 6th
📍 Location: The Crosby Commons
⏰ Time: 5:00PM - 7:00PM

08/20/2026

City of Picayune Names Assistant Chief James Bolton as New Chief of Police

PICAYUNE, Miss. — The City of Picayune is proud to announce the appointment of Assistant Chief James Bolton as the city’s new Chief of Police. Following a competitive interview process conducted by a selection committee, City Manager Harvey Miller officially named Assistant Chief Bolton to lead the Picayune Police Department into its next chapter.
Bolton brings 35 years of law enforcement experience to the role. He began his public service career in Louisiana in 1991, working in corrections before moving to road patrol in 1995. In 2006, Bolton joined the Picayune Police Department, dedicating the last two decades directly to serving and protecting the Picayune community.

Over his 20-year tenure with Picayune PD, Bolton has served at nearly every level of the department, including Street, K-9, and Motor Patrols; Narcotics and Field Training Officer; Patrol Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain/Commander; before his appointment as Assistant Chief of Police in 2020. Throughout his time with the department, Bolton has also played an active role in identifying, writing, and managing departmental grants to secure critical resources and funding for public safety operations and equipment.

Strong community relations and public safety have remained central to Bolton’s leadership throughout his career. His appointment follows widespread support from local residents and business owners who contacted city leadership to advocate on his behalf. During the interview process, Bolton presented a clear vision to lead the department forward while reinforcing his lifelong commitment to public service.

"When I came to Picayune 20 years ago, my goal was to build my career here, serve this community, and eventually retire here. Serving as Chief of Police has always been a dream of mine," said Chief Bolton. "I got into law enforcement to treat people with dignity and respect, lead by example, and ensure our city remains a safe place to live and raise a family. I am deeply honored by this opportunity and look forward to continuing to serve Picayune to the best of my ability."

City leadership expressed complete confidence in Bolton’s ability to lead the department, pointing to his decades of proven service, leadership, and community dedication.

"Assistant Chief Bolton has proven his heart for this community time and time again over the past 20 years," said City Manager Harvey Miller. "We are confident he will continue to serve Picayune with honor and distinction as our next Chief of Police."

Current Chief Joe Quave announced in June that he will retire in September. The City of Picayune sincerely thanks Chief Quave for his dedicated service and leadership to our community.

Media Contact:
Lisa Albritton
Public Information Officer
City of Picayune
601-798-9079
[email protected]

08/12/2026

On 8/11/26 Picayune Police Officer Mike Alquist was arrested by the Pearl River, LA Police Department and charged with Injuring Public Records. Mike was employed as an Officer in Pearl River, LA from April 2016 to May 2025. He has been employed with the Picayune Police Department since March.

Mike has served our community only a short time, but has done so honorably and without any disciplinary issues.

The arrest stems from a body camera video shared on APR St Tammany page. The video shows someone identified as John Polk, a candidate for Pearl River, LA Police Chief. APR St Tammany has since made a post explaining that they didn’t get the video from Mike, which is also a public record.

On 7/6/26 Pearl River, LA Police Chief Jack Sessions and Captain Gerald Young met with me in reference to Mike speaking negatively about the department. Today, he was arrested and charged with a felony crime.

In an effort to remain transparent we have attached the video in question, the affidavit, the LA statute he was charged with and the statement from APR St Tammany.

I have spent a career holding myself and other professionals to a higher standard. It is an honor and privilege to serve. There are many officers that I have had to terminate and even arrest a few. When officers are wrong, they’re wrong. It should be recognized and dealt with. It’s also important to recognize when the judicial system is being used for personal vendettas and political imprisonment.

At this time there will be no action taken against Mike in regard to his employment and we respect the judicial process as it takes place. Mike will continue to serve the City of Picayune as a Police Officer.

Chief Joe Quave

08/05/2026

On 8/5/26 at about 12:05 am Officers responded to Petrol Plus, 1105 Memorial Boulevard, in reference to an Armed Robbery (knife). The suspects fled the scene prior to the officers arrival.

Officers were quickly able to identify Rickey Smith Jr. and his brother, James Smith, as suspects as well as the vehicle they were driving. After identifying the suspects, Officers and Detectives arrived at the residence of Rickey Smith Jr. While at the residence, Rickey and James arrived and were arrested for Armed Robbery. Search warrants were executed on the residence and the vehicle. This case is still under investigation with more charges pending.

Due to the quick response and hard work from Officers and Detectives the suspects were arrested within a couple of hours of the initial call.

08/03/2026

08/01/2026

On July 30, 2026 two of our K9 officers attended a certification test hosted by the Mobile Police Department.

Officer Jennifer Callais and K9 Cosmo certified in narcotics and fi****ms detection. Officer Brandon Callais and K9 Trea certified in narcotics detection. Both teams are now certified through the United Police Working Dog Association (UPWDA).

Certification through a recognized agency such as UPWDA is a yearly requirement of detection teams to ensure the accuracy of their odor recognition. Odor recognition tests are set and scored by master trainers. The tests are run in multiple scenarios such as buildings, vehicles, open areas and luggage.

Thank you to the Mobile Police Department and UPWDA officials for hosting our teams!

07/27/2026

Today closes out our fifth summer for “Layups at the Link”. This program is every Monday in June and July and allows junior high and high school aged youth to play 🏀 indoors. Each year we have 25-30 youth participate.

With Picayune First Baptist Church under renovation, we appreciate the Picayune School District for partnering with us and allowing us to use the Junior High gym. It wouldn’t be the last Monday without 🍕. Thank you Domino’s for your generous donation!