MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The city of Morgantown has announced plans to extend the Safe Streets Initiative by 8 weeks that was implemented in August of 2024.

Morgantown Police Chief Eric Powell said in the initial 12 weeks of the program police officers in Morgantown made 42 arrests and issued 58 criminal citations. The arrests included DUI offenses, disorderly conduct, and drug possession.

The extension of the program will now overlap with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday giving downtown shoppers an extra sense of security.

Charlie McEwuen, who founded Tanner’s Alley Leather 48 years ago and member of the Morgantown Police Civil Service Commission believes a presence of uniformed officers on foot or patrol helps promote safety.

“I think it’s a great start,” said McEwuen. “Seeing officers patrol the downtown area has certainly helped, but we need more. We need to be at a level where we see officers daily. The perception of safety is the biggest thing.”

The eight-week extension will ramp up additional MPD resources through the end of calendar year 2024.

“It’s important to note that this initiative did not take cops off other assignments or divert resources from other departments,” explained Morgantown Deputy Chief of Police Chris Ruehmer. “Considering the results, we see this as a great investment in public safety.”

Safe Streets will continue to provide patrols near trail and school access points.

“We think it’s appropriate to say the Safe Streets Initiative has served our city well,” said Morgantown City Manager Kim Haws. “Ultimately, we want to make sure that we are creating the safest and healthiest community for our residents and visitors. I commend MPD’s leadership in this critical program to secure the safety of our downtown area.”

Haws continued to state that recent efforts by MPD are focused on connecting people to human resources as well.

“We have people in our community who need our help and connecting them to the right resources will always be one of our top priorities,” said Haws. “It’s extremely common to see one of our officers speaking with someone who needs a bus pass, access to shelter, or a hot meal. I think this clearly illustrates what it means to protect and serve.”

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