Bob Ricks
Encyclopedia
Robert A. "Bob" Ricks is an American
law enforcement
professional from Texas
and Oklahoma
. Ricks has worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, the Governor of Oklahoma
and in local law enforcement. He is best known as the former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge during the 1993 Waco Siege
and as FBI Special Agent in Charge during the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
.
Following his retirement from federal service, Ricks served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
under Governor of Oklahoma
Frank Keating
. Ricks serve as Secretary during the Keating's entire term as Governor, from 1995 to 2003. Concurrent with his service as Secretary, Ricks was also appointed by Keating to serve as his Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
.
, and received his early education in Del Rio, Texas
. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration
from Baylor University
in 1967 and his Juris Doctor
degree from Baylor Law School
in 1969, where he served as an Editor of the Baylor Law Review and was a member of Phi Delta Phi
.
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
to Special Agent In Charge of the FBI in Oklahoma
. He also served in various other positions of authority from Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Inspector, and Deputy Assistant Director.
field office. Following a raid on the Branch Davidian
church by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on February 28, 1993, the FBI assumed command of the Waco Siege
. Ricks was named one of four Assistant Special Agents in Charge, under the direction of Jeff Jamar
. The others were Richard Schwein, Richard Swensen and Richard Rogers.
Ricks served as FBI spokesman during the Waco siege, often speaking for the government at press conferences. On April 16, Ricks told the media:
Ricks told the media that operations were costing $2 million a day. However, a later Senate Appropriations Committee hearing revealed actual costs as of April 22, 1993, were $6,792,000, an average of $130,000 a day.
At the direction of newly appointed United States Attorney General
Janet Reno
, FBI agents mounted a final assault on the Davidian church on April 19. By the end of the day, federal agents had ceased control over the compound.
Six years after the Waco siege, Ricks was charged as a defendant in the 1999 civil suit Andrade et al. vs Chojnacki et al.
destroyed
the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. It was the most significant act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11 attacks in 2001, claiming the lives of 168 victims and injuring more than 680. As the Special Agent in Charge, Ricks worked with Governor of Oklahoma
Frank Keating
and senior FBI and United States Department of Justice
officials in the response to, and later investigation of, the attack.
where he was the Chief Counsel for DEA.
Frank Keating
appointed him as his Secretary of Safety and Security
. As Secretary, Ricks oversee the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections
and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
. Concurrently with service as Secretary, Keating also appinted him Commissioner of Public Safety
, giving Ricks direct control over the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
.
In 2003 when Democrat
Brad Henry
was elected to succeed Keating, Ricks agreed to stay on as Secretary in the Henry Administration. He remain in that position until October 2003 when he resigned as Secretary to become the Chief of Police
for Edmond, Oklahoma
. Henry appointed Kevin Ward, the deputy secretary under Ricks, to succeed him as Secretary.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
professional from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Ricks has worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
and in local law enforcement. He is best known as the former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge during the 1993 Waco Siege
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
and as FBI Special Agent in Charge during the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
.
Following his retirement from federal service, Ricks served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
Oklahoma State Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the Governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into a major part of...
under Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
. Ricks serve as Secretary during the Keating's entire term as Governor, from 1995 to 2003. Concurrent with his service as Secretary, Ricks was also appointed by Keating to serve as his Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
.
Education
Ricks was born in Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and received his early education in Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
from Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in 1967 and his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Baylor Law School
Baylor Law School
Founded in 1857, Baylor Law School is the oldest law school in Texas and has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1931 and a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1938. Baylor Law School is affiliated with Baylor University and located in Waco, Texas...
in 1969, where he served as an Editor of the Baylor Law Review and was a member of Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Ricks served 26 years in Federal law enforcement, during which he rose from the position of Special AgentSpecial agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
to Special Agent In Charge of the FBI in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He also served in various other positions of authority from Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Inspector, and Deputy Assistant Director.
Waco Siege
In 1993, Ricks was a Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Oklahoma CityOklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
field office. Following a raid on the Branch Davidian
Branch Davidian
The Branch Davidians are a Protestant sect that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists , a reform movement that began within the Seventh-day Adventist Church around 1930...
church by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on February 28, 1993, the FBI assumed command of the Waco Siege
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
. Ricks was named one of four Assistant Special Agents in Charge, under the direction of Jeff Jamar
Jeff Jamar
Jeff Jamar is an FBI Special Agent in Charge, who rose to notoriety for his role in the 1993 Waco siege.*1982 - Informant Coordinator at FBI headquarters*1990 - SAC for the FBI's Minneapolis field office*1993 - SAC for the FBI's San Antonio field office...
. The others were Richard Schwein, Richard Swensen and Richard Rogers.
Ricks served as FBI spokesman during the Waco siege, often speaking for the government at press conferences. On April 16, Ricks told the media:
- "We are going to get them. . .to bring them before the bar of justice for the murder of our agents. They're going to answer for their crimes. That's the bottom line to this whole thing, they're going to come out."
Ricks told the media that operations were costing $2 million a day. However, a later Senate Appropriations Committee hearing revealed actual costs as of April 22, 1993, were $6,792,000, an average of $130,000 a day.
At the direction of newly appointed United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
, FBI agents mounted a final assault on the Davidian church on April 19. By the end of the day, federal agents had ceased control over the compound.
Six years after the Waco siege, Ricks was charged as a defendant in the 1999 civil suit Andrade et al. vs Chojnacki et al.
Oklahoma City bombing
Ricks was serving as the Special Agent in Charge for the FBI's Oklahoma City field office when, on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
destroyed
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States Federal Government complex located at 200 N.W. 5th Street in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The building was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which killed 168 people, including 19 children...
in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. It was the most significant act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11 attacks in 2001, claiming the lives of 168 victims and injuring more than 680. As the Special Agent in Charge, Ricks worked with Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
and senior FBI and United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
officials in the response to, and later investigation of, the attack.
Other federal service
Ricks served as chairman for the Oklahoma Federal Executive Board, which had oversight responsibilities for all Federal agencies in the State of Oklahoma. Ricks also served three years with the Drug Enforcement AdministrationDrug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
where he was the Chief Counsel for DEA.
Secretary of Safety and Security
After serving 26 years with the FBI, in 1995 Ricks retired from federal service as Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office. Following his retirement, Governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
appointed him as his Secretary of Safety and Security
Oklahoma State Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the Governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into a major part of...
. As Secretary, Ricks oversee the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the city police departments of the state and is the primary investigative agency of the state government...
, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Oklahoma Department of Corrections
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is an agency of the state of Oklahoma. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City, in the former Mabel Bassett Correctional Center building.The Department of Corrections is governed by the...
and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is a department of the government of Oklahoma responsible for coordinating the response to a natural disaster that has occurred in the State and that has overwhelmed the abilities of local authorities. This is achieved primarily through the...
. Concurrently with service as Secretary, Keating also appinted him Commissioner of Public Safety
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
, giving Ricks direct control over the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. It is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was legislatively created in 1937 due to the growing problem of motor vehicle accidents, the expansion of a...
.
In 2003 when Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
was elected to succeed Keating, Ricks agreed to stay on as Secretary in the Henry Administration. He remain in that position until October 2003 when he resigned as Secretary to become the Chief of Police
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
for Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
. Henry appointed Kevin Ward, the deputy secretary under Ricks, to succeed him as Secretary.
Life after the Keating Administration
Since 2003 Ricks has served as Chief of Police in Edmond, OklahomaEdmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
.