By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — A little over two weeks after Greenville Police Chief Eric Roberts officially resigned, the City of Greenville has a new Chief of Police.

On Wednesday, July 17, Lieutenant Ryan Benge took off his lieutenant bars and was officially sworn in as Chief Benge.

Benge is a lifelong resident of Darke County having graduated from Ansonia High School in 2008. He is an Army veteran having served as an infantryman and was deployed to Iraq for a year. After the military, Benge returned to the community and decided he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. He said that once he left the military, he knew he wanted to do some that was related to community service.

In 2013, Benge took his first position with a police department and served his hometown of Ansonia. A year later, he joined the Greenville Police Department. Benge has moved up the ranks in the police department having served as a patrol officer for four years and then to narcotics investigations. In 2019, Benge was promoted to Patrol Sergeant and two years later he earned his lieutenant bars where he served as the support services lieutenant and for the last couple of years he has managed the operations division.

Although he is proud of what he has been able to accomplish in law enforcement, he maintains his biggest achievement and blessing are his two daughters, Lucille, 5, and Eleanor, 1. Both were present for his swearing-in ceremony and Lucille held the Bible as he took the oath of office.

Benge is looking forward to leading the Greenville Police Department and believes he will work well with his officer team, which includes Lt. Ben Boyer and newly promoted Lt. Joe Monnin. He said he is “super excited” about the team they have and believes all three of them are long-term thinkers. They will be working together, along with the other officers, dispatchers and the community to develop a long-term vision for the department.

Chief Benge admits the challenges in law enforcement never get easier, but he has set goals for himself and the department. First and foremost, Benge wants to reinforce the department’s mission statement that commits to excellence and rejects mediocrity. He also wants to take a closer look at the department’s hiring practices. He wants to ensure the people they hire are a good fit for the city and that it isn’t someone just to fill a position. Benge also plans to improve staff training and provide the staff with the necessary tools they need to be successful. “We owe it to our community to provide the highest standard of policing services and I am committed to ensuring we do just that,” he said. One of his priorities will be to always advocate for his staff and find ways to help them broaden their careers.

Benge wants to make sure his department is part of the community. He is looking to reestablish relationships that may have fizzled out over the years. Although he knows the community well, he has not had the opportunity to engage the community as he would like in his previous position.

“In my more than 10 years with the Greenville Police Department, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated men and women I’ve ever met. To have the opportunity to be their Chief of Police is an indescribable feeling. I’m ready to hit the ground running with an energized command staff.”

In order to be named chief, the three candidates, Benge, Boyer and Monnin, went through an extensive assessment with three experienced current Chiefs of Police from communities of similar size. The test determined what they would do in certain situations and how they would handle issues and circumstances that could arise.

In addition to promotions for Benge and Monnin, Alan Smith was sworn in as the new Patrol Sergeant.

Monnin has been with the department for seven years and has eight years of experience in law enforcement. Smith has been with the Greenville Police Department his entire career, which is nearly 16 years.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].