Senate Bill No. 386
(By Senators McCabe, Jenkins, Unger, Green, Williams, Boley,
Yost, Snyder, Kessler and Prezioso)
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[Introduced January 28, 2010; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §15-2-3 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to the structure of the West
Virginia State Police; and increasing the number of
troopers.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §15-2-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WEST VIRGINIA STATE POLICE.
§15-2-3. State Police structure; how established.
The superintendent shall create, appoint and equip the State
Police which shall consist of the number of troops, districts and
detachments required for the proper administration of the State
Police. Each troop, district or detachment shall be composed of
the number of officers and members the superintendent determines
are necessary to meet operational needs and
are implement a
program to increase the number of State Troopers in the state to
attain a minimum number of eight hundred State Troopers by July
1, 2014, which is required for the efficient operation of the
State Police. The superintendent shall establish the general
organizational structure of the State Police by interpretive rule
in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code. The superintendent shall provide
adequate facilities for the training of all members of the State
Police and shall prescribe basic training requirements for newly
enlisted members. He or she shall also provide advanced or in-
service training from time to time for all members of the State
Police. The superintendent shall hold training classes for other
peace officers in the state without cost to those officers,
except actual expenses for food, lodging and school supplies.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for an increase
and establish a minimum number of troopers to proved basic law
enforcement services.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.