JGPR Consultant Scott Benton (Photo Courtesy JGPR)
John Guilfoil Public Relations (JGPR) is proud to welcome retired Police Chief and law enforcement policy expert Scott D. Benton to our company as a consultant and instructor.
Chief Benton comes to JGPR with 33 years of experience in public safety and law enforcement management and administration, with the majority of his career spent in executive leadership roles.
Benton served as Chief of Police for the Whitman Police Department from 2012 to 2019. Following his retirement in 2019, Benton served as the Interim Chief of the Plympton Police Department from 2021 to 2022, and most recently he served as a court prosecutor for the Abington Police Department.
By joining JGPR, Chief Benton will continue the type of work he did as an advisor to fellow police chiefs throughout the state during his time with the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (MCOPA) from 2014 through 2019. Benton served on the group’s Civil Service Committee and the School Safety and Security Committee, providing advice on such topics as crisis management, human resources, policy development, oversight, program development, accountability, contract negotiations, grievance management, budgeting, management rights and grant writing.
At JGPR, Chief Benton will focus heavily on client strategy and leadership training, helping us to better meet the needs of our many police clients, and also other clients.
“I have long known Chief Benton as a dedicated law enforcement leader who is well known in the police community for his wisdom, practical experience, and extensive knowledge of best practices for the management of police departments, especially in crises and other difficult situations. We are extremely fortunate to be able to add him to our team at JGPR,” said company founder and owner John Guilfoil. “Chief Benton’s expertise will be available to all of our staff and clients, including not only our police clients but school, fire, and municipal clients as well, along with any other organization that we serve.”
As part of his service with MCOPA, Benton helped develop statewide guidelines, protocols, and policies for how to respond to critical situations in school settings, such as active shooter incidents. While serving on the group’s Civil Service Committee, Benton assisted in areas of facilitating recruitment, hiring, test development, assessment testing, along with the navigation of the civil service process.
“I look forward to helping all of JGPR’s clients to reach their full potential, to better serve their communities and to navigate difficult situations that inevitably come up in our line of work,” said Chief Benton. “I know JGPR has long provided outstanding service to its police clients on these matters and they were a tremendous asset to me when I was Chief. I am glad to be able to join this team and help JGPR continue to deliver expert solutions and proven communications strategies.”
About John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC:
With the philosophy that every police and fire department and government agency deserves effective communications and public relations on the same scale as major corporations, John Guilfoil Public Relations produces clear, concise written materials, communications strategy, website development, and crisis management services for our clients and responds to breaking news incidents for more than 300 police and fire departments, public schools, and municipal governments, and non-profits throughout New England and beyond. The company is based in Groveland, Mass. and was founded by John Guilfoil, a former Boston Globe staff reporter who served as deputy press secretary for the late Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. For more information visit JGPR.net.
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