DOTHAN: RSN desires to clear up some rhetoric from FACEBOOK.
It seems a lot of comments when there is a murder case, anywhere in the wiregrass, people want to make comments that Dothan is getting bad, Dothan is getting like a little Chicago and more comments. And that is not true.
There was a murder in Enterprise. Not Dothan. No where near Dothan. And for the record Enterprise is not getting like Chicago. When there is a murder outside the city limits of Dothan and in the county, that is not in Dothan. And the county is not getting like Chicago.
In the corporate city limits of Dothan, in 2025, if my memory serves me correct, we have had 5 murders and 1 manslaughter case which resulted from a motor vehicle accident. ALL SOLVED.
While 1 murder is more than anyone or any law enforcement officers want, how are some of them prevented? One which happened in the city limits of Dothan but in Dale County, a jealous boyfriend killed his girlfriend. How can that be prevented? Can someone read that boyfriends mind? His co-workers said it was out of character for him.
All of the wiregrass law enforcement agencies do a god job of management of the citizens and guests in the community. A recent firearm assault in Dothan, in less than 27 minutes of the call hitting 911, Dothan Police had identified the suspect, who was not on the scene, located the suspect’s whereabout’s, and had the suspect in custody. THAT, my friend is good law enforcement! The number of on duty law enforcement officers has increased and they do all of the crime prevention possible. A lot of investment has been made of intelligence tools, of which I can not identify. These investments have been made to give the law enforcement officers the tools to prevent and to rapidly solve crime.
Recently in Dothan there was a man on Cottonwood Road who had bombs. There was a stand off with him. While multiple law enforcement officers were on the scene, to include Dothan Police Chief Will Benny, there was a call of a possible intruder at Dothan High School. Most do not know, but there were probably 40 Dothan Police Officers who had Dothan High School surrounded in literal minutes. The officers rushed to protect each and everyone’s children and staff. Two major incidents, both going on at the same time, and not one hiccup. Full manpower, on scene. No one hurt.
One Sunday, a shooting in Wiregrass Commons Mall. A self defense shooting which created a major response. No one was killed, but between Dothan Police, Houston County Sheriff Deputies, ALEA – Troopers, Ashford Police, Kinsey Police and others that mall was shut down and searched. The person shot lived and is now in jail for allegations he killed a Dothan man in Pike County. Not a shooting in Dothan, but in Pike County. And Pike County is not a little Chicago.
People on FACEBOOK are keyboard warriors. Some of those posting, they are not informed and they tell their friends, you post this and I will argue with you. And then make people the situation is different then what it really is. They are bored and just spouting off to get people fired up and they have no idea the facts.
All of our law enforcement do a great job in serving and protecting. Dothan Police Chief Will Benny and Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza and the area law enforcement stay on top of crime and work daily to provide the men and women who serve the tools to prevent crime and solve crime. The sad note is, there is not a good way to get statistics of the crime prevented only the crime that happens.
But rest assured, Dothan and Houston County are in no way a little Chicago, or even a little Montgomery Alabama or Birmingham Alabama. And the reason why, Will Benny and Donald Valenza have common sense. They realize it is a “we” thing. The Dothan Commission support Chief Will Benny and are proactive in crime prevention. Sometimes the Houston County Commission do not walk the same walk in supporting the Sheriff. But partially they do.
In closing, a couple of things about Dothan Police Chief Will Benny: he hates for someone to brag on him. If I write a article he will send a text RICHARD!!!! He has never ridden in the parade. When Dothan Commission was going to present him with his 30 or 35 year certificate, he said he was not coming to the commission meeting. He wants the men and women in the department to be recognized and not him. He goes to the daily briefings at times and sits with troops while the supervisor goes over the daily briefings. He is not one to say, look at me and what I have done. It is what “we” as a department has done.
Sheriff Valenza, when the SRT goes, he goes, When something happens, he goes. And he is about “we” and not “I”.
So we have good leadership, and in all surrounding communities and counties. So we are not a little Chicago. All inclusive – Dale, Henry, Pike, Coffee, Geneva County, of all agencies combined, municipal, county and state.
