Manchin, Capito Announce Funding to Support West Virginia Law Enforcement Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today announced a total of $649,459 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to help support various law enforcement efforts in West Virginia.

“I’m pleased to see this investment in West Virginia’s public health, safety, and its natural wildlife from the Department of Justice.  This funding will enable us to continue to protect our children and loved ones from sexual assault and other forms of violent crime, by ensuring that the West Virginia State Police has the resources to conduct proactive and reactive investigations. By empowering West Virginia University researchers to study the way the human body processes synthetic cannabinoids, we will gain a better understanding of the health effects and potential dangers of these products, which are ripe for abuse.  By strengthening our existing wildlife laws, we will preserve and cherish the natural beauty of this state for the next generation of West Virginians and our visitors,” Senator Manchin said.

“The brave men and women serving in our state’s law enforcement agencies work incredibly hard to keep West Virginians safe and bring criminals to justice, and it’s important we do what we can to ensure they have the resources they need,” Senator Capito said. “This funding will help support those working to protect children from harm and exploitation, as well as efforts to solve and prevent crimes. It will also help fund important research that can improve future law enforcement efforts and make it easier for law enforcement to continue providing these critical public services.”

Individual awards listed below:

• $91,587 – West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Services: The state will use these funds to provide the West Virginia State Police with personnel, training, equipment and supplies that will enhance implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) portion of the Adam Walsh Act.

• $459,956 – West Virginia State Police: These funds will help support West Virginia law enforcement agencies investigating technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation through the National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program.

• $50,000 – West Virginia University: These resources will help conservation law enforcement solve wildlife crimes and create a deterrent for future violations, specifically in the poaching of white-tailed deer.

• $47,916 – West Virginia University: This funding will help evaluate the toxicity of confirmed pyrolytic products produced from the smoking process of selected representative synthetic cannabinoids—research that could help forensic toxicologists assess intoxication, assist in death investigations, and inform public health and safety. 

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