Mike Greene to lead Benicia Police as next chief

(Photo courtesy Benicia Police Department, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)

Benicia has picked one of its own to lead the town’s police department.

Captain Mike Greene was promoted on Monday to the role of chief of police, the city announced in a rare evening press release.

Greene is no stranger to the chief of police role: He previously served as an interim chief of police before Erik Upson was appointed to the position in 2015. Upson stepped down as chief of police in mid-January to become Benicia’s permanent city manager.

“I am confident that Mike will continue to lead the police department with integrity, accountability, and compassion,” Upson said in a statement on Monday. “He will ensure the culture and vision of the department continues to move forward.”

Greene has been with the Benicia Police Department for nearly three decades and has served with the agency’s command team for the last 11 years, officials said. He was promoted to the position of captain in 2017.

“I am humbled and honored to lead this department and continue to serve my community and peers in this capacity,” Greene said. “Benicia is and will always remain a special place to me, and I am excited for this opportunity to make it an even better and safer city by continuing our strong relationship with the community. I’m excited to continue working with Erik Upson and very proud of the department we have.

One of his first roles as the town’s newest police chief is to hold virtual meet-and-greets with members of the community. Officials said these virtual conferences will be announced in the near future.

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