While at the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, then Sheriff’s Deputy Benefield attended several training schools including Fire Arms Instructor School and the F.B.I Advanced Crime Scene and Surveillance Photo School located at Quantico, Virginia, and was placed in charge of the departments Fire Arms Training and ‘Crime Scene Photography”. Deputy Benefield was promoted to the rank of Corporal in 1989 and put in charge of the 15 member Reserve Deputy program.

In 1990, Cpl. Benefield was selected to attend the F.B.I. National Academy located at Quantico, Virginia, and graduated from the 163rd Session in December. In October of 1992, Cpl. Benefield resigned from the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department and moved back to the Mobile area, where he was employed by the Satsuma Police Department in November of that year.

Officer Benefield was placed in charge of the Criminal Investigations Division or C.I.D and rose quickly through the ranks being promoted to Public Safety Corporal in 1994, Public Safety Sergeant in 1995 and Public Safety Lieutenant in 1998 serving as the Second in Command to then Chief B.B. “Pete Barlow”.

Lt. Benefield took over the reigns as Chief of Police in April of 2002 upon retirement of then Chief Barlow. Since taking over as Chief of Police, Benefield has been very active in upgrading the department in man power and equipment, securing grants as well as utilizing seized drug funds to purchase police vehicles, Mobile Data Transmitters (lap top computers) and Digital Recording Camera Systems for the patrol vehicles.

Also in 2002, Chief Benefield completed the requirements for an Associate in Science for Criminal Justice through Faulkner Community College and was invited into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society with a 3.8 grade average.

Chief Benefield has also been active representing the City of Satsuma on many area boards to include the Under Age Drinking Advisor Committee, the Community Advisory Board, and Safe Boarders Advisory Committee. Chief Benefield also serves on the Mobile County Police and Firefighters Pension Fund, Executive Board of the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency (Chair Person) and the Executive Board of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police. Chief Benefield has also served as the President of the Mobile County Chiefs of Police Association for the past several years.

Chief Benefield is active in Church as a member of the Praise and Worship Team where he attends at Cavalry Temple Assembly of God and also serves on the Executive Board of the Satsuma Youth Association where he is also a Certified Baseball Coach.

Chief Benefield has also completed several hours of Executive Level Training through the University Partnership of Alabama Continuing Education Program (UPACE) reaching the level three certification as a Certified Police Chief in Alabama by completing 160 hours of Executive Level Training. Chief Benefield has also attended the Southwest Alabama Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar also known as SLEEDS and served as a guest instructor at the South West Alabama Police Academy.

Chief Benefield is married to Connie Moore Benefield who serves as the Cafeteria Manager at Satsuma Christian School they have 5 children and 4 grand children.