Benton Police Department

06/06/2026

Congratulations to Sgt. Miles French and Sgt. Ryne Besancon on graduating from Arkansas' School of Law Enforcement Supervision Session LXIV (SLES)!

This 4 week program is exclusively designed to provide first and second line supervisors with the fundamental skills they will need to become effective managers over the span of their careers. Experts in their profession provide instruction and facilitate group activities over the span of this course. Program objectives are carefully selected and continually evaluated to ensure the information is applicable and relevant for the 21st century law enforcement leader.

Well done, guys!

06/06/2026

Welcome to Saturday Scams!

🚨 Is your business safe from Corporate Account Takeover (CATO)? 🚨

Cybercriminals are targeting companies of all sizes by hijacking business bank accounts to drain funds, alter payroll, and send fraudulent wires.

Here is what you need to know to protect your business:
🔹 How it happens: Attackers use sneaky phishing emails and malware to steal banking logins and lock real users out.
🔹 Red flags: Watch out for sudden account lockouts, unauthorized payroll changes, or unexplained wire transfers.
🔹 How to stop it:
*Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on all accounts.
*Require Dual Control (two people) to approve big transfers.
*Keep computers updated with strong security software.

If you suspect a breach, disconnect from the internet immediately and call your bank! 🛑

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Lt. Jarred McCauley on graduating from Arkansas Leader Session ###IV!

The Arkansas Leader program is jointly sponsored by the Criminal Justice Institute and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and has been designated as one of the FBI’s sixteen Command Colleges. This executive level training is taught by distinguished lecturers and takes a multi-faceted approach to examining current leadership principles. A strong emphasis is placed on leadership principles, decision making, and mentoring the next generation of law enforcement leaders.

06/02/2026

This week, we continue our lane marking series: We are going to talk about the bike lane, with a dash of E-bike.

Now we have already covered bicycle laws, so we are only touching on the bike lane and its parallel motorists. Bike lanes taking up a portion of the roadway will have a solid white line between them and the traffic lane. These lanes are for cyclists only, not motorists, and will be marked with a picture of a bicycle and an arrow. These lanes help ensure safety and that 3 feet of buffer space. At intersections, the traffic lane and bike lane may merge. In those instances, the bike lane will change to a double chevron instead of a simple arrow. This is true where all bike lanes share the traffic lane. However, cyclists always have full use of the traffic lane, should they choose to do so. Because of this, cyclists riding on the roadway must go the same direction as traffic unless otherwise marked. Cyclists are encouraged to use the bike lane as it is generally safer than riding in the traffic lane.

This brings us to E-bikes, some of which may not be allowed on a bicycle path or multi-use path (these are the paths that are not on the roadway). We have seen lots of confusion regarding the laws and what constitutes an E-bike. Rightfully so. Marketing and legal language make it difficult because terms aren’t always clear. Something marketed as an E-“bike” may be a motorcycle rather than a bicycle or may have age restrictions. To determine, we must look at the definitions:

27-51-1801, simply put, states it must have pedals designed to move by the act of pedaling. If the “E-bike” doesn’t have pedals like the bicycle everyone thinks about when they hear “bicycle” then it isn’t an “E-bike” by state law.

27-51-1702 breaks down the different classes of E-bikes and defines them as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than seven hundred fifty watts (750 W) that meets one (1) of the classifications defined in subdivisions (1)-(3) of this section.

27-51-1706 requires Class 3 operators to be 16+ of age and wear a helmet if under 21.

27-20-101 defines a “motorized bicycle” as a bicycle with an automatic transmission and a motor which does not displace in excess of fifty cubic centimeters (50 cc). It does not include an electric bicycle as defined in § 27-51-1702.

We have included some of the statutes in the pictures below. Let us know if you have any questions on the topic.

06/02/2026

Help Identify! ****Update. 12:52pm - Subject contacted us and has been identified. Thank you for your attention to this matter****
2026-05294

Sorry for the weird camera distortion. We need your help identifying the subject in these photos. The person took $60 from the self-checkout and used it to purchase his groceries. Whether this was intentional or a mix-up, we need to speak to him about it. Hopefully, someone will recognize him or have him reach out so we can get things cleared up. Pics of his tattoos are included, too.

If you know them, please contact the Benton Police Department and reference Incident #2026-05294.

📩 You can message us directly or contact the Detective below.
Det. Chandler – 501.229.8275 or [email protected]

Tips may also be submitted by tip line via text to 847477 using the keyword “BENTONPD” plus your message, by phone 501.776.5947

05/26/2026

Welcome to Traffic Tuesday! Each Tuesday, we will break down a new traffic law to educate our drivers.

Continue our lane marking series:

Here is one many of you see but may not realize what it is telling you. It’s the dotted white line (specifically the shorter dotted white line). GPS has gotten much better, but how many of you have been following the navigation only to find some confusion about which lane you should be in? This is especially seen in large cities where the interstate suddenly grows 2 extra lanes just before an exit.

Many of us simply see dotted white lines and think nothing of it. We know these lane markings allow us to move between lanes, and in areas we are familiar with, we pay little attention to them. At highway speeds, it may be difficult to tell there is a difference in the dotted lines you’re seeing. However, you will see 2 different dotted lines; the second being a shorter length and a shorter spaced dotted white line. This dotted line is important when navigating the roads. It tells you the lane is about to end or divert from the main road. So when you are getting on or off the interstate or switching to a new one, and you’re not sure if you need to move over, look at the dotted line on each side of your vehicle. A short dotted line on your left means your lane is ending or changing course.

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

Public Service Announcement

We are diligently working to return property recovered from the B&E’s that occurred in and around the Wellington Pointe Subdivision, the morning of 5/15. We have received several calls from neighborhoods in Bryant that were also hit. If you live in Bryant, we ask that you file your report with Bryant PD, so we can coordinate with them to identify if any of the property recovered may belong to you. If you live in Benton and had items stolen that night, please contact Det. Wisenor, so we can see if we have your property.

We have not determined the owner of the following items: Knives, Ammunition, a Rifle, Jackets, Backpacks, Portable Speakers & Electronics, Makeup Bags, Sunglasses, & a Watch.

If you believe any of these items may be yours, contact your jurisdiction and have them reach out to Det. Wisenor. This allows for the appropriate charges to be filed on your behalf. If they were stolen within the Benton city limits, please email Det. Wisenor @ [email protected].

Thank you for your time and assistance with this matter.

05/19/2026

Officers from all over Saline County joined together for the Saline County leg of this year's Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics. Officers and athletes ran from Everette Buick GMC to Centennial Bank in Bryant before passing the torch. Good luck to all of the athletes in the 2026 Special Olympics Games!

05/19/2026

Welcome to Traffic Tuesday! Each Tuesday, we will break down a new traffic law to educate our drivers.

This week we is the start of our lane marking series: We will cover a couple each week. Some are obvious, others may not be. Nevertheless, lane markings are there for the safety of everyone on the roads.

Let’s start with the double yellow and the solid white lines.

The double yellow should be a no brainer for everyone driving. This indicates you are not allowed to cross, except when turning across it at 90 degrees. Where this gets a little confusing is when it is coupled with a center turn lane. A double yellow adjacent to your lane means you are not allowed to enter the turn lane (MUTCD 11th Edition, Page 547).

A single solid white line is used when crossing the line is discouraged (MUTCD 11th Edition, Page 546). It is not illegal to cross this line; however, if doing so causes an accident or near accident it would be a contributing factor and you would likely be found at fault or cited. They are also used as a fog line for drivers to see the roadway. Double solid white lines on the other hand, should be treated the same as double yellow (do not cross) (MUTCD 11th Edition, Page 548). Not sure there are any in Benton, but they are used for traffic traveling the same direction.