CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There are nine new police officers with the Charleston Police Department following a swearing-in ceremony Thursday morning at city hall.
The officers are being funded with this year’s 50-cent increase in the city user fee. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones said it was by necessity.
“We were in such a mess last summer. We just had a full blown crime wave going on. Part of it we attribute to this needled business. That’s what we had to do,” Jones said.
A handful of the new officers have already been trained and will be able to hit the streets sooner than the other officers who will have several weeks of training at the State Police Academy beginning Monday.
“We’re grateful for the people that are trained and we’re also grateful for the people that are untrained because they are younger. They will be for us hopefully for their entire career,” Jones said.
Those who work in Charleston are now charged a $3.00 user fee. When council approved the increase last September it was said the money the funds would go toward the hiring at least 10 police officers and opening a station at Slack Plaza for K-9 and walking units.
The new officers sworn-in Thursday include:
Samuel Neal, 20 from Mt. Nebo, WV
John Waggy, 21 from Huntington, WV
Molly Mitchell, 21 from Nitro, WV
Christopher Thaxton, 34 from Sissonville, WV
Dalton Holcomb, 22 from Ivydale, WV
Joshua Weaver, 38 from Boonsboro, MD
Hunter Sampson, 20 from Oakridge, TN
Aaron Sadler, 23 from Scott Depot, WV
Alexander Brooks, 22 from Elkview, WV