The University of Central Arkansas Police Department announced the promotion of Christopher M. Bentley to the position of Deputy Chief of Police, Bentley began his new role Aug. 1.

Prior to his promotion, Bentley served as the captain over administration for the UCA Police Department, and with about a month of experience under his belt, Bentley has noticed some slight changes in his day-to-day working operations. 

“So far I have had a lot more meetings, and I have been out in the public more. I’ve been overseeing a little bit more of our report-writing. But all in all, it hasn’t been a huge change for me just yet,” Bentley said.

Bentley has been an integral part of the UCA Police Department for nearly 30 years, beginning his work for the department while he was still a student at UCA in 1994. 

“My first job for the police department was in 1994 as a checkpoint worker. In the ‘90s, UCA actually had checkpoints in front of the HPER center on Farris road and in front of Wingo Hall off of Donaghey and the rest of the streets coming into campus got shut down at a certain time of night,” Bentley said.

“So my job was to man those checkpoints and make sure that only students, staff members or people on a guest list were the only ones coming to campus,” he said.

Reflecting on his journey from starting out as a checkpoint worker for the police department and climbing his way up the ranks to achieve the deputy chief position is a surreal experience for Bentley.

“It means everything to me. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the opportunity Captain Stacks and Chief James gave me when I was just a young 18-year-old kid,” Bentley said.

Bentley has been a part of the UCA Police Department for nearly three decades and says he has a passion for what he does.

“I have been here for 30 years and let me tell you, I love UCA. I believe it is a place that gets its hooks into you and never wants to let you go. Every year, I love watching students accomplish the goal they set for themselves when they first got here, which is to graduate and celebrate one of the greatest days of their life,” he said.

However, Bentley was not always set on becoming a police officer. 

“I actually came to UCA to be a band director, so I joined the band my freshman year. But a friend of mine knew I was looking for work and he got me an interview with the police department, and 30 years later here we are,” Bentley said.

Although his time with the band was brief, Bentley remembers it fondly. “The majority of my best friends are still in that field, and had it not been for the band I wouldn’t have met my wonderful wife of 26 years,” he said.

John Merguie, UCA police department chief, believes Bentley will have no problem excelling in his new position. “Deputy Chief Bentley’s leadership will undoubtedly play a significant role in maintaining UCA’s commitment to promoting a safe, healthy and sustainable environment where members of the community can flourish,” Merguie said.