Meet Larry Behnke
Candidate for Lonoke County Sheriff
I was born and raised in Arkansas. I graduated from Conway High School in 1984. I joined the U.S. Army in 1985. I was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 8th Infantry Division in Mainz, W. Germany for three years as an Infantryman. Upon re-enlistment, I served with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division as an Airborne Infantry Squad / Section Leader. I was deployed to the Sinai, Egypt in 1989 for the Multi-National Force and Observers mission and then to Saudi Arabia/Iraq in August 1990-1991 for Operations Desert Shield / Desert Storm.
I was honorably discharged in 1992 and returned home to Arkansas where I began my law enforcement career with the Sherwood Police Department. I attended Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) Class 93-A. Between 1992 and 1996, I served as a Dispatcher, Jailer, Patrol Officer, Warrant Service Officer and Special Response Team (SRT) member.
I was hired by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office in 1996 and served with PCSO for 6 years. During my tenure at PCSO, I served as a Patrol Deputy, Detective, SWAT Team member and Patrol Sergeant. I learned that being a Sheriff’s Deputy was “the original Community-Oriented Policing”.
After the terror attacks of 9-11-2001, I applied for the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) program’s Police Mission to Kosovo (former Yugoslavia). I was accepted to the mission and arrived in Kosovo in early 2002. I successfully completed the Close Protection Unit (CPU) Assessment and Selection Course, the Basic and High-Risk CPU courses. I was assigned to the Close Protection Unit (Team MIKE) in Mitrovica located in northern Kosovo. The unit’s mission included dignitary protection for International Prosecutors and Judges conducting war crimes tribunals, conducting high-risk search and arrests for drug and weapons smuggling and supporting operations with the Trafficking and Prostitution Investigations Unit (TPIU) to interdict human sex-trade trafficking by organized crime elements.
In January 2004, I applied for a contract security position under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. I arrived in Baghdad, Iraq in March 2004 and was assigned to a Protective Security Detail (PSD) with the mission of providing mobile and close protection to members of the governing Coalition Provisional Authority, and later, the U.S. Department of State and other visiting American officials. I served as a PSD Operator, Shift Leader, Agent-in-Charge, and Assistant Team Leader.
I was selected to be the Assistant Team Leader for the first U.S. Department of State remotely located team assigned to the northern Iraq area of operations. In early 2005, I was selected to be the Team Leader for the unit providing protection to members of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Erbil, Iraq. While in Erbil, our Team established an outstanding working relationship with the local Kurdish security and intelligence forces. As a result, we were able to conduct operations with minimal adverse effect to the local population.
I returned home in November 2005 and in December 2005, I was hired by the North Little Rock Police Department. I served as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer (FTO), Training Unit Officer, SWAT Team member, Patrol Sergeant, FTO Supervisor, Training Sergeant, Special Enforcement Team (SET) Commander, K9 Supervisor, SWAT Commander, Street Crimes Unit Commander, and Patrol Lieutenant.
In 2005, while working at North Little Rock Police Department, I enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard and served with the 39th Infantry Brigade’s 2nd Bn 153rd Infantry. I served as a Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and First Sergeant. I deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008. I retired in 2016 at the rank of First Sergeant.
In 2013, after an increase in violent criminal activity, I collaborated with several other Officers to develop the concept of a “Special Enforcement Team”. I utilized open-source information, street sources, and other innovative means of identifying those persons who were creating the havoc within our city. I established outstanding cooperative relationships with a vast array of local, state, and federal agencies which ultimately led to a 60% reduction in violent crime over a 12-month period.
As the Commander for the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, I drafted an application for Grant Funding through the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) which led to funding totaling approximately $450,000 for fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. This funding allowed our Team to properly plan, equip, and train our members to respond to many critical incidents ensuring the safety of not only our Team members but the public as well. I also served on the ADEM SWAT Committee which provided guidance and recommendations to ensure the proper allocation of grant-funding balanced with team capabilities.
While serving as the Training Unit Coordinator, I led a team of outstanding Officers who were selected as recipients of the NLRPD Team Achievement Award for 2017. The Team’s efforts in Response to Active Shooter training for our agency, as well as other area agencies (Police, Fire, EMS), established a common response protocol. Our Team also delivered training to numerous civic organizations and private citizens, which provided them best-practices related to safety and medical response to an active shooter event. I continue to train law enforcement, fire service, and EMS personnel around the Nation as an Adjunct Instructor for Advanced Rapid Response Law Enforcement Training (ALERRT) program from Texas State University.
I retired from the North Little Rock Police Department in July of 2021. I live near the Furlow community with my wife, Julie, an experienced Police Officer and 21-year sex crimes detective. My daughter Kylie, graduated from Cabot High School in 2021 and now attends UCA where she is studying to be a teacher. We love our community and our wonderful friends here.
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