H. B. 4397
(By Delegates Caputo, Boggs, Pethtel, Martin,
D. Walker, Staggers, D. Poling, T. Walker,
Spencer, Campbell, Hamilton)
[Introduced February 8, 2010
; referred to the
Committee on Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §15-2-3 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to requiring the Superintendent of
the State Police to implement a plan to increase the number of
troopers to a minimum of eight hundred troopers by July 1,
2014.
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 required for the
efficient operation of the State Police. The superintendent shall develop and implement a program to enable the state to attain a
minimum number of eight hundred troopers by July 1, 2014. 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 require a plan be
implemented to increase the number of troopers in the State Police
to a minimum of 800 troopers by July 1, 2014.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.