GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s State Police troopers are getting help from some friends during the ongoing National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Fayette County.
Troopers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky are assisting in Glen Jean and in surrounding areas.
Lt. J.W. Gibson with Kentucky State Police out of Ashland said he considers the work an honor for a number of reasons.
“(It’s) The opportunity, first of all, to work with all the other troopers from the different agencies, but also being around the kids and seeing how respectful these young kids are,” he said.
The troopers are being housed in dorms at a local school and are working out of the State Police Mobile Command Center which overlooks the Summit’s Visitor Center.
Sgt. Eric Gonzalez with the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Toledo says he’s enjoying the experience. “The hospitality, I can’t say enough about. West Virginia has been fantastic,” he said.
This year’s event is the second Jamboree experience for Sgt. Steve Lowe with Virginia State Police in Wytheville. In the past, he has worked with the Scouts when the Jamboree was held at Fort A.P. Hill.
“This site is quite a bit larger,” said Sgt. Lowe. “It’s more open and, with it (Fort A.P. Hill) being a military base up there, there was a lot more fencing and it was easier to secure and there was a lot more access to it, but here they’ve really put the time and effort into securing this facility.”
Lt. Gibson said The Summit is an impressive site. “When you drive through it, you just keep driving and driving and you can’t put it into perspective,” he said.
Sgt. Gonzalez agreed. “After looking it, I wish I had been a Scout when I was kid, but I don’t think 30 years ago they would have had something as nice as this.”
The 2013 National Boy Scout Jamboree ends on Wednesday. The next National Jamboree will be held in Glen Jean in 2017. The World Jamboree is scheduled for the Summit in 2019.