DOTHAN: On March 1, 2021, William ( Will ) E. Benny took the Oath of Office for Dothan Police Chief from Alabama Associate Supreme Court Justice Brad Mendheim. Following the Oath of Office, Chief Benny laid out clear expectations of the Dothan Police Department, someof which was treating citizens with respect and being honest.
Chief Benny is not a “look what I have done” person. As Chief, he strives to give the men and women of Dothan Police Department the tools and training to do their job. Then he backs out of the way and allows them to do their job. Chief Benny hates when the focus is on him and what he is doing, but wants the focus on the performance of the police department.
Early on in his administration Chief Benny created a huge partnership with the WASP ( Wiregrass Aviation Support Program ). In a recent murder case the Dothan Police aircraft, equipped with modern technology, and the ground units of Dothan Police Department, kept the scene area hot and the suspect confined in a small area. The suspect was apprehended 1 mile from the crime scene. That vision has allowed eyes in the sky for chases, watching officers, and patrolling around Dothan, being proactive in crime prevention, detection and apprehension.
Recently Chief Benny initiated a partnership with Axon. Now Dothan Police Officer and Patrol vehicles are equiped with the latest body worn and in car camera systems on the market. The system activates officers cameras within close distance of each other and the patrol cars. All angles of intereaction are now captured on video and audio.
While retired Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish laid ground work for the construction of the Wiregrass Training Center, it has allowed Chief Benny to grow that facility. Chief Benny was able to get a police academy at the Wiregrass Training Center. Now Dothan amd area agencies are trained here in Dothan with a State Certified Police Academy. There is an ever on-going training for the law enforcement officers at the Wiregrass Training Center. Working daily to keep officers trained and certified in all areas of law enforcement.
Chief Benny is working on a real time crime center. The center is expected to be operatonal in the immediate future. It will allow Dothan Police Department to be on top of crime before and immediate after it has occured. Being on top of the latest technology available and helping quickly identify suspects. A lot of technology that has been implemented will not be identified. But some technology in the department that has been implemented is when something has happened, tehn implementing safety devices so it will not happen again.
The recent Mardi Gras Parade, the attendees felt safe with law enforcement prescence on land and in the air. Some the attendees saw teh prescence of officers and some officers they did not see, as Dothan Police Officers were staged to make sure it was a safe event. A lot of detailed planning by Chief Benny and staff goes into making sure all systems are go.
Chief Benny has worked hard to bring law enforcement officers pay up to where they can live. With the support of the City Manager, Mayor and members of the Dothan Commission, Chief Benny has brought the Dothan Police Department to a larger number and longer retention of officers.
Congratulations to Dothan Police Chief Will Benny has he begins another year as Dothan’s Top Cop.
