MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Funding to assist the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department in cataloging license plates of vehicles passing a traffic light will be supported with the help of opioid settlement dollars.
The Monongalia County Commission unanimously approved the allocation of approximately $180,000 over the course of three years, which will be used to fund the placement of license plate reading (LPR) cameras at ten different locations around the county. The proposal was approved about a week after a work session involving the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, and MECCA 911 that discussed the program aimed at increasing public safety.
“This is to approve funding for the Sheriff’s LPR program from the County Opioid Settlement Funds in the amount of $60,000 per year for three years,” said Monongalia County Commission President Jeff Arnett. “This is the result of our work session last week.”
According to the commission, the contract will install 20 LPR cameras across the county at those ten intersections. These cameras will be able to directly send video to emergency dispatchers, whereas in other places across the country where such technology is used, law enforcement will be able to use their database to potentially catch criminals with open warrants or find people declared missing. The approval of the contract will also allow for cost-saving measures to be put in place.
“By approving this before the 14th, they’ll waive the installation fees,” said Commissioner Sean Sikora. “So this is just the straight service fees, and it’s for 20 cameras, so that’s approximately 10 locations throughout the county that they’ll be able to install these.”
The $180,000 in opioid settlement funds will be paid out in $60,000 increments per year over the course of three years. The cameras that can catalogue everything involving a vehicle, up to the make and model of passing vehicles, were recommended based on increased usage by law enforcement agencies nationwide. The cameras will also not be used to issue speeding tickets or determine compliance with traffic laws due to such devices being prohibited under state code.
“It’s $60,000 per year for a total of $180,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund for the Sheriff’s LPR program,” said Sikora.
Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom, speaking independently from the commission as executive director for Pantry Plus More, announced during the closing minutes of the meeting there will be upcoming food distribution events that will take place in the coming weeks in collaboration with the Mountaineer Food Bank. This includes one that will be hosted on November 15 in Westover and another on December 13 at the ‘Old’ Morgantown Mall. With food scarcity still expected to be ongoing even with the pending end to the government shutdown, Bloom expressed appreciation for the donations made by the community.
“November 15th at the new mall in Westover and then on December 13th at Morgantown Mall, the old mall, and both are beginning at 10 o’clock,” said Bloom. “And I just want to thank the community that is pulling together, bringing food, and offering funds.”