Editing Benson, Vermont (section)

==Public safety==
The town employs a town constable, but most law enforcement is handled by the [[Vermont State Police]]. The amount of crime in Benson is negligible when compared with the nearby communities of Orwell and Shoreham who respectively ranked second and tenth in recidivism and repeat offenders as of 2012.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Benson town, Vermont |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=November 1, 2011 }}</ref> Even so, Benson has faced the growing drug epidemic in rural New England, and the use of illegal substances is on the rise across all ages and demographics.

Ambulance services are provided by Benson First Response and  the Fair Haven Rescue Squad. The nearest hospitals are [[Rutland Regional Medical Center]] and Middlebury's historic [[Porter Hospital]]. Benson also operates a small, entirely volunteer fire department, who respond to more motor vehicle crashes then fires. This volunteer department also sponsors an ice and swift water rescue team. .<ref>{{Cite web| title = Benson Volunteer Fire Department| publisher = Benson-VT.com| year = 2008| url = http://www.benson-vt.com/benson-fd.php| accessdate = November 3, 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110707223940/http://www.benson-vt.com/benson-fd.php| archive-date = July 7, 2011| url-status = usurped}}</ref> Assistance in fighting particularly large fires is provided by other neighboring volunteer fire departments, including [[Fair Haven, Vermont|Fair Haven]], [[Castleton, Vermont|Castleton]], [[Hubbardton, Vermont|Hubbardton]], [[West Haven, Vermont|West Haven]] and [[Orwell, Vermont|Orwell]], and Poultney. Similarly, Benson's volunteer firefighters occasionally respond to large blazes and calls for water rescue in other local towns when the opportunity presents itself.