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§15-8-1. Creation; purpose; composition.
For the purpose of providing better law enforcement for our counties and state and to effectuate better law enforcement on our highways, there is hereby created the West Virginia sheriffs' bureau. Said bureau shall be constituted by the governor, as chairman, the attorney general and five sheriffs of the counties of West Virginia, to be selected by the governor, each for a term of two years, commencing July first, one thousand nine hundred sixty-one; except that three of the first five sheriffs designated July first, one thousand nine hundred sixty-one, shall serve terms expiring July first, one thousand nine hundred sixty- two, at which time new selections for a regular two-year term shall be made. Any vacancy on the bureau shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by selection of the governor.

§15-8-2. General powers and duties.
The bureau shall have the power to contract and be contracted with, to recommend cooperative policies for the coordination of the law-enforcement work of county agencies and county officials having law-enforcement duties, in seeking to promote cooperation between all state and local law officers, in securing efficient and effective law enforcement, in eliminating duplication of work, and in promoting economy of operation in such agencies through the central purchase of supplies and equipment for all local law-enforcement agencies. The bureau is authorized to accept contributions from counties but it shall neither solicit nor accept contributions from persons, firms or corporations.

§15-8-3. Executive secretary; clerical and technical personnel.
The bureau shall employ an executive secretary, and such other clerical and technical personnel as are required, at salaries to be fixed within available funds by the bureau, to perform such duties as the bureau may prescribe.

§15-8-4. Training of peace officers approved by the bureau.

The bureau may contract or agree with any state university or college in West Virginia or any other organization for such university, college or other organization to provide training for peace officers, which training shall embrace police techniques in detecting crime, apprehending criminals, securing and preserving evidence and responding to calls involving family violence. All law-enforcement officers selected by the various law-enforcement agencies, if their selection is approved by the bureau, shall receive such training free with the exception of actual cost of housing and meals.

The county commissions are authorized to pay the necessary travel and living expenses of sheriffs and deputies of their respective counties while receiving training.

§15-8-5. Purchase of equipment and supplies; use of facilities of department of purchases.
The bureau shall be governed by all laws regulating the purchase of supplies and equipment as other state agencies, and may enter into contracts with other state agencies. The bureau may use the facilities of the state department of purchases and avail itself of the benefits of any general contract held by said department for the purchase of any equipment or supplies for state agencies.

All equipment purchased through the bureau shall be in the name of the bureau and the bureau is authorized to contract with counties, sheriffs or deputy sheriffs for the return of any supplies or equipment purchased from funds contributed to the fund by each such county, sheriff or deputy sheriff upon request.

§15-8-6. Standard color for motor vehicles used by sheriffs; standard badges and uniforms; wearing other than standard uniform or badge; unauthorized wearing of official uniforms or badges.
(1) The bureau may by proper rules and regulations adopt a standard color for use on the motor vehicles used by the various sheriffs and deputy sheriffs of West Virginia.

(2) For purposes of uniformity the bureau may establish a standard badge and uniform to be worn by all sheriffs and deputy sheriffs.

(3) On and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred sixty-five, it shall be unlawful for any sheriff or deputy sheriff to wear other than the standard uniform and badge as provided by the preceding paragraph, except when engaged in undercover work or other similar duties wherein the identity of the officer should be undisclosed. When so adopted by the bureau it shall be unlawful for any person other than sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to wear an official sheriff's badge or uniform as prescribed by the bureau, or to wear a badge or insignia of such similarity to the official sheriff's badge as to be indistinguishable therefrom at a distance of twenty feet: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to prevent members of any military, fraternal, or similar organization or any other law-enforcement officer from wearing any insignia officially adopted or worn prior to the effective date of this section.

(4) Violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.

§15-8-7. Sheriffs' bureau special fund -- Generally.
The West Virginia sheriffs' bureau is authorized, empowered, and directed to establish in the state treasury a special fund to be known as "the West Virginia sheriffs' bureau special fund," hereinafter referred to as "the fund." The fund shall be only for the purpose of purchasing equipment and supplies at the request of the various sheriffs' departments of the state of West Virginia, or the counties of the state of West Virginia, and any balance in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall not expire or revert. Payments shall be made out of the fund upon requisition of the secretary of the bureau by means of a warrant signed by the auditor and treasurer.

§15-8-8. Sheriffs' bureau special fund -- How constituted; purpose; prerequisite to use.
The fund shall consist of payments made into the fund by any county of the state of West Virginia, by any sheriff or deputy sheriff of any county in the state of West Virginia, for the purchase of equipment or supplies for any county, sheriff or deputy sheriff in the state of West Virginia: Provided, however, That when the use of the fund is requested by a county, sheriff or deputy sheriff, satisfactory proof must be supplied to and required by the bureau that such supplies and equipment are to be used primarily for a public purpose.

§15-8-9. Sheriffs' bureau special fund -- Payments from fund.
On proper authorization by the secretary of the bureau and under proper rules and regulations of the bureau, payments shall be made from the fund to cover the cost of any supplies or equipment requested by any county, sheriff or deputy sheriff to be purchased for said county, sheriff or deputy sheriff by the bureau: Provided, however, That the secretary shall not be authorized to purchase or contract for purchase any supplies or equipment for any county, sheriff or deputy sheriff until that county, sheriff or deputy sheriff has a sufficient balance in the fund to fully cover the cost of such purchase.

§15-8-10. Sheriffs' bureau special fund -- Misuse.
It shall be unlawful for any person authorized to purchase through the fund to use any equipment or supplies primarily for his personal use and, upon conviction shall be fined not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.

§15-8-11. Sheriffs' bureau special fund -- Contribution by county court.
In addition to the provisions of chapter seven, article seven, section seven of this code, the county court may pay on requisition of the sheriff of the county, at the first of each month, a reasonable amount sufficient to cover the cost of purchase of gasoline necessary to meet the needs of the duties of the sheriff and deputies of the county.

§15-8-12. Sheriffs' bureau special fund -- Tax exemption of purchases by fund.
Any supplies or equipment purchased by the bureau through its special fund shall be exempt from any taxes of the state of West Virginia.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session