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2014-15 Annual Report Booklet Wjs West Virginia State Police Annual Report 2015 West Virginia State Police Annual Report 1 West Virginia State Police Annual Report WEST VIRGINIA STATE POLICE MISSION STATEMENT Statutory Mission: West Virginia Code §15-2-12(a): The West Virginia State Police shall have the mission of statewide enforcement of criminal and traffic laws with emphasis on providing basic enforcement and citizen protection from criminal depredation throughout the state and maintaining the safety of the state’s public streets, roads and highways. 2 West Virginia State Police Annual Report Colonel C. R. “Jay” Smithers Superintendent 3 West Virginia State Police Annual Report 4 West Virginia State Police Annual Report 5 West Virginia State Police Annual Report 6 West Virginia State Police Annual Report 7 West Virginia State Police Annual Report State of West Virginia OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC SAFETY 1900 Kanawha Blvd., E. Bldg. 1, Suite W-400 Charleston, West Virginia 25305 EARL RAY TOMBLIN JOSEPH C. THORNTON GOVERNOR CABINET SECRETARY 2015 Message from Cabinet Secretary Joseph C. Thornton It is my privilege to present the latest Annual Report of the West Virginia State Police. Thanks to the leadership of Colonel Smithers and his team, our State Police continue to achieve their vital public safety mission. They have earned this success amid challenges both native to the task and arising from tight economic times. Highlights from the past year include the graduation of the 65 th Cadet Class. The addition of these capable men and women help bring the ranks of the State Police to within 4 percent of their target strength. The State Police have performed a leading role in reducing traffic fatalities, by focusing on safety enforcement during peak travel times and seasons while targeting DUI and distracted driving. I commend the State Police for its role in establishing the West Virgin- ia Center for Children’s Justice. By serving as a clearinghouse for information, resources, services, training and other assistance, the center will aid the promising “Handle With Care” program as it expands statewide as well as similar efforts. The Crimes Against Children Unit continues to identify and expose predators, providing for their successful prosecution and incar- ceration. The State Police Forensic Laboratory remains a crucial tool of our criminal justice system. These positive results come as the budgetary situation presents opportunities for refining processes and pursuing needed adjustments. Such examples show how each day, in every corner of the Mountain State, the State Police perform actions that result in a safer West Virginia. The State Police remain intent on their public safety mission in a time of increased tensions and with the specter of both global and homegrown terrorism still present. I offer my sincerest appreciation to an agency that works tirelessly to ensure West Virginians have a safe environment to live, work and raise a family. The residents of the Mountain State owe an incredible debt of gratitude to the men and women whose commit- ment to this career in public service enhances the quality of life we have all come to expect and enjoy. I look forward to working with Col. Smithers and this outstanding work force in the coming year. Joseph C. Thornton Cabinet Secretary 8 West Virginia State Police Annual Report Organization Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Executive Staff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Field Operations Troop 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Troop 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Troop 3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Troop 4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 Troop 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47 Troop 6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56 Troop 7 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 Troop 8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61 Troop 0 - Special Operations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 64 Troop 0 - Training Academy---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66 Troop 0 - Crimes Against Children Unit ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 67 Troop 0 - Office of Public Affairs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 78 Staff Services Executive Protection ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 78 Recruiting -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79 Personnel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79 Medical Unit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 Procurement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 Information Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81 Planning and Research ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82 Criminal Records ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 83 Radio Communications --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84 Forensic Laboratory ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 86 Traffic Records ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 89 Accounting ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 91 Headquarters Legal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 109 Professional/Promotional Standards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 109 Directory of State Police Facilities and Offices ---------------------------------------------------------------- 111 9 West Virginia State Police Annual Report Organizational Summary In March of 1919 the West Virginia State Police, originally known as the West Virginia Department of Public Safety, was created during one of the most violent eras the citizens of the state have experienced. The unionization of coal miners throughout the state and the violence that ensued, prohibition, and political corrup- tion led then-Governor John Jacob Cornwell to propose legislation that would lead to the birth of the agency. Today, steeped in a rich heritage, the West Virginia State Police is known for providing professional law enforcement services to the citizens of West Virginia and is nationally recognized for its efforts. Advances in communications, computer technology, forensic science, and equipment and training have poised the West Virginia State Police to continue its proud tradition for 96 years since it’s creation. As West Virginia’s statewide law enforcement agency, the West Virginia State Police is charged with the responsibility of general and special law enforcement and criminal investigation services with concentration in rural, unincorporated areas of the state. Troopers conduct traffic enforcement for both unincorporated areas and interstate highways, and provide security and police services throughout the state for many athletic events, fairs and festivals. In order to accomplish the mission of the West Virginia State Police and perform the duties and responsibili- ties mandated by statute, the agency is comprised primarily of two divisions — Staff Services and Field Services. Personnel within Staff Services perform the administrative, accounting and executive functions necessary to operate the agency and are located mostly within the agency’s headquarters in South Charleston, West Virginia. Existing organizationally within Staff Services are Executive Protection, Accounting, Information Services, Criminal Records, Forensic Laboratory, Planning and Research, Procurement, Promotional Standards, Traffic Records, Personnel, Medical Unit and the Photography Laboratory. There were 37 uniformed members assigned to the various sections within Staff Services as of June 30, 2015. Field Services is the operational and largest division within the West Virginia State Police. Field Services is responsible for providing necessary police functions to citizens of the state. These functions are provided on a daily basis by seven uniformed field troops, which are divided into 20 districts consisting of 59 detachments. In addition to the seven uniformed troops, the Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI)
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