Those who keep us safe: Edward Pritchard

Vicksburg native Edward Pritchard’s natural instinct is to protect people, and he has been doing just that his entire life.

“My mom raised three boys,” Pritchard said, “so it just comes natural to want to protect people when you have a family.”

Pritchard, 52, is married with two children.

He worked as a security guard for nearly 15 years, but when the opportunity presented itself to become a deputy jailer with the Warren County Jail, Pritchard had a decision to make.

“I did a lot of research on it, and finally decided to give it a try,” he said.

As a jailer, Pritchard is charged with processing inmates and maintaining order in the jail. Sometimes county jailers may also be asked to perform cell searches for drugs and other contraband.

“My favorite part about my job is solving problems for the inmates; just trying to make their day a little bit easier. You deal with a lot of different personalities and a lot of different attitudes,” he said.

Pritchard has only been employed with the Warren County Jail for four months and said some days can be complicated, but most days are good.

“I enjoy working with my co-workers the most because we are a team,” he said. “We watch out for each other’s backs.”

He said the last four months has been a great experience.

Pritchard takes on the night shift working from midnight to 8 a.m.

“It’s not as bad as people think it is once you get your sleep regulated,” he said.

The natural instinct of keeping others safe runs deep in Pritchard’s bones, and he is able to use that instinct every day in the Warren County Jail.

“Every day is something different, and every day we have somebody different from a different phase of life,” he said.

“I always want to make sure people are safe.”