Benny Williams
Officer Williams started with the SPPD in 1994. During that time, his assignments have included working in Patrol, Mounted horse patrol, Inspections, Missing Persons, and just recently selected as driver for our new mayor.
Maintaining a high level of fitness has been a priority for Benny throughout his career. Police officers endure strenuous physical and emotional situations every day. Their ability to handle the rigors of running, lifting and occasionally dealing with force or self-defense is directly related to their level of fitness. Because of his dedication to fitness, at the age of 48, Benny was chosen as Saint Paul’s Most Fit Police Officer. He continued to train and ran his first marathon at age 53.
Now at age 57, he continues to exercise though he admits it doesn’t get easier and he has modified his routine. He and his wife hired a personal trainer to help keep them motivated. While he may run less, they regularly climb the 35 floors of their condo and weight train three times per week. For the past three years, he has signed up on the SPPD team for the IDS Stair Climb Challenge benefiting cystic fibrosis. In this 50 flight challenge, he is proud to say he has been faster than much younger officers. His quote is “I’m old but I’m not cold”.
What also motivates Benny is maintaining his health. He has high blood pressure and his mother recently died as a double amputee as a result of diabetes. He knows regular exercise will help reduce his risk for disease.
Over the years, Benny has worked at many of the City’s running events. He knows crowd support is helpful to the runners, so he cheers them on, offers “High 5s” and will even run a few yards with a struggler to keep him/her going. Many of the regular runners in these events have even come to look for Benny and his partner, Officer Mong Lee, to help keep them going.