Chief Deputy Paul Bennett | Riverside County Sheriff, CA

Chief Deputy Paul Bennett’s law enforcement career spans over three decades with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Bennett is a life-long resident of Riverside County, having grown up in the Lake Elsinore community. He joined the Sheriff’s Office as a Community Services Officer at the age of 19. He promoted to Deputy Sheriff after graduating from the Riverside Sheriff’s Academy in 1991. He was initially assigned to the newly opened Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside, followed by his first patrol assignment three years later at the Palm Desert Station.

Chief Deputy Bennett subsequently served in a variety of assignments including patrol operations for the contract cities of Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Moreno Valley, Calimesa, and Norco, as well as the unincorporated communities of Riverside County. He has held assignments with the Emergency Services Team and the Ben Clark Training Center as a basic academy coordinator.

As a sergeant, he supervised patrol in the contract cities of Norco, Jurupa Valley, and Eastvale before supervising the Community Action Team at the Jurupa Valley Station. He also supervised the Modular Academy and maintained the POST certifications for the Sheriff’s basic training courses.

Once promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Chief Deputy Bennett managed patrol operations, the investigations bureau, and special teams at the Perris Station. In 2013, Chief Deputy Bennett was transferred to the Special Investigations Bureau, which is responsible for complex criminal investigations including homicides, drug and human trafficking, and deputy involved shootings.

In January 2019, Chief Deputy Bennett was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned to oversee the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, which is comprised of the SWAT Team, Aviation Unit, K9 Unit, Hazardous Device Team, Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, Riverside County Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Sheriff’s Dive Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, and Fugitive Warrant Enforcement Team. Chief Deputy Bennett also served as the Captain of the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau, which is responsible for advanced level criminal investigations, and is comprised of the Central Homicide Unit, Force Investigations Detail, Crime Analysis, and Forensics Unit.

Chief Deputy Bennett is a true advocate of “Service Above Self”, knowing there is no greater responsibility or honor than to protect and serve others!

On June 30, 2022, Chief Deputy Bennett was appointed to his current rank by Sheriff Chad Bianco and currently oversees West Field Operations.