On Sunday evening, January 15, 2023, the  Greene County Sheriff Jonathan”Joe“ Benison took his oath of office for the fourth time at the Williams M. Branch Courthouse surrounded by a   room filled with family, friends and well wishers.  
  The ceremony began with Presentation of Colors by the Greene County High School JROTC Color Guard, followed by the invocation presented by Rev. Lynn Finch and a welcome by Chief Deputy Vince Hardwick.  Rev. Finch recognized elected officials present. Ms. Monica Turner rendered a soul stirring song.
 Lt. LaJeffrey Carpenter, with the sheriff’s office, gave the introduction of the Sheriff who then took the Oath of Office administered by District Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne, with Mrs. Benison holding the bible.
Sheriff Benison in his inaugural address emphasized the importance of unity in the community focusing on the youth. “We are in the 4th quarter of life and we need to prepare a future for our children so they can kept the torch burning,” he stated. He emphasized that now more then ever is the time for everyone to come together and prepare our young people for leadership.
Sheriff Jonathan “Joe” Benison is a native of Forkland, Al., where he graduated from Paramount High School in 1978. He is a 1982 graduate of Alabama State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology. While there he joined the Gamma Beta Chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
After college Benison graduated from the University of Alabama’s Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (A.P.O.S.T.) and joined the Greene County Sheriff’s department as a deputy for 3 years under the late Sheriffs Rev. Thomas Gilmore and James Flannigan.
  Benison began his 24 year career as an Alabama State Trooper serving 14 years in Choctaw County and the remaining 10 years on the force in Greene County. During his career, Benison served several years as a Traffic Homicide Investigator and also as a Field Training Officer where he trained many of the State Troopers that are now working in our area.
Throughout his career Benison has received many accomplishments and awards.  In 1992 he was second runner-up for the Alabama Trooper of the Year award for his dedication to the association. In 2008 he was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for his outstanding service to the citizens of the community.
In July of 2010, Sheriff Benison overwhelmingly won his first bid for Sheriff, but then was appointed to begin serving early by Governor Bob Riley in December 2010. He officially began his first term as Sheriff in January 2011. Benison then won his second election for Sheriff in 2014 and began his second term of Sheriff in January 2015.  Sheriff Benison was once again voted in to serve as Sheriff of Greene County for a third term in 2018 which was official in January 2019. Recently, Sheriff Benison was elected in an unprecedented 4th term in the Primary Election in May 2022 that begins  his current term January 17, 2023.