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ELKINS -- The Randolph County Commission agreed to purchase some much-needed equipment for the Sheriff's Office Thursday during its regular meeting at the James F. Cain Courthouse Annex.
Sheriff Rob Elbon spoke to the commission during the meeting and discussed items his department needed in order to keep both the community and his law enforcement officers safe.
Commissioners David Kesling, Chris See and Cris Siler were all present at the meeting and approved three separate requests from the RCSO, which came to a total amount of $51,481.
Elbon first told the commissioners about the need for new bulletproof vests, not only for his deputies, but for court security officers as well.
"We have some new court security officers that need vests and some other folks that their vests have timed out on the five-year period they are good for," said Elbon.
Elbon made a pair of separate funding requests, asking for a total of 12 vests. The first request was for four vests and accessories for the county's court security officers. The second was for eight vests and accessories for RCSO deputies.
The commision approved both requests, the first being for court security officers in the amount of $5,335. The second was for $8,520 and will be for the department's deputies. The money will be taken from the courthouse contractuals budget line item.
"We want to make sure everyone is taken care of," said Siler, who is a former West Virginia State Trooper. "I know from experience, vests only have a life expectancy of five or six years. And if officers are wearing them every day, the material breaks down and they have to be replaced."
Elbon then brought to the commission's attention the need for new portable radios for his officers.
"We hired the two new deputies, which put us a couple radios short right off the bat," said Elbon. "And then we found out that the radios we carry are at the end of their life and they quit making parts for them."
Elbon said another radio problem exists in regard to the Prevention Resource Officer the RCSO has stationed at Tygarts Valley High School.
"Once Deputy (Rocky) Hebb is in the school at Tygarts Valley, he has no radio at all," said Elbon. "His radio just doesn't work there, so the new radios we are looking at now have WIFI capability.
"The PROs will get some of the new radios for sure, so that they can log in on the school internet and have communication. If something bad were to happen in Mill Creek at this point and time, Deputy Hebb would have to call for help on his cell phone."
The commission unanimously agreed to purchase six portable radios for the RCSO in the amount of $37,625.64. That money will also be taken from the courthouse contractuals line item.
"I've been on that end when you're calling and nobody can hear you," said Siler. "You definitely want to have radios that are working … You can't go without them."
The next county commission meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 1:30 p.m.