Capt. David Bentley

In a word, Capt. David Bentley provided the people of the Chautauqua County area with dedication — dedication to his family, his profession and the safety of those in his community.

In his honor, the Capt. David Bentley Award has been established to support similarly dedicated graduates of Jamestown Community College’s Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Academy.

Administered by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the endowment in Bentley’s name will be awarded to a student sharing his passion for learning, leading, training and protecting those in the community.

A 1979 graduate of Jamestown Community College, Bentley served as a police officer for the village of Fredonia and town of Ellicott before joining the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office in 1985. There, he supported many specialized departments, including the Stop DWI program, and received numerous promotions in law enforcement, earning the rank of captain in 2019. He oversaw several teams, including the Dive Team, Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force and SWAT Team, all while teaching classes and range instruction for the Sheriff’s Academy.

“There were very few opportunities David passed up in becoming the best police officer he could be,” said Kimberly Bentley, his spouse since 1988, adding, “and he was very well known by the local law enforcement community, having trained most, and mentored many of the county’s current active police officers.”

Lisa Lynde, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation’s donor services officer, noted, “With this endowment in place, the Capt. David Bentley Award will be able to support graduates who share his level of dedication, and we are confident that future Sheriff’s Academy graduates will carry on his legacy.”