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ELKINS -- The Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force seized drugs valued at more than $400,000 and made more than 70 felony arrests in 2024, officials said.
Elkins City Police Chief Travis Bennett gave a report of the task force's 2024 statistics to Elkins City Council during their most recent meeting.
"I think it's very important for you to know what that task force produces," Bennett told council Thursday night. "Because we have a large commitment in that, having a full-time officer on that task force and the money we provide for things for that."
Bennett told council that, in 2024, there were 165 new investigations and criminal investigation reports from the task force, which led to 78 felony arrests on 213 different counts.
Nearly $23,000 were spent on controlled buys of different drugs in 2024, while the drug value from seizures equaled $447,670, a "significant amount," Bennett said.
Bennett also gave council the individual amounts of drugs that were seized by the task force last year:
*.5.33 pounds of fentanyl.
* 5.26 pounds of methamphetamine.
* 21 pounds of marijuana.
Two vehicles and two houses were also seized by the task force, along with 31 firearms, in 2024.
"I think that goes to show that those guys are out there getting after it," Bennett said. "It shows you the effectiveness of that program."
Bennett told council that the Elkins City Police Department has one full-time officer on the task force, as well as several officers who work part-time. Bennett also explained that he is a member of the task force's board and that the task force receives support from federal agencies.
When asked by Fourth Ward Council Member Andrew Carroll if the task force has faced any issues or changes with federal funding, Bennett admitted that there were proposed cuts on the federal level that the task force was trying to combat.
"We're sending out letters to our representatives as we speak," Bennett said. "To try and ensure that we keep all the funding that we can for that."
Bennett also informed that council that earlier this month the task force had an operation that seized around $500,000 worth of banned vaping products and cash from five stores in Upshur and Randolph counties.
"If you read The Inter-Mountain today, you'll see the vape shop," Bennett said on Thursday. "That's us. We're right there."
On June 5, members of the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force served search warrants at five different tobacco and vape stores located in Randolph and Upshur counties, the task force announced in a released statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, the warrants were issued after both counties' sheriff's departments, Buckhannon and Elkins police departments, as well as the Drug Task Force, had received numerous complaints about persons under the age of 21, and minors under the age of 18, purchasing Delta 8/9 products and other illegal products from the stores.
The operation was a joint effort with the Buckhannon and Elkins police departments, Barbour, Lewis, Randolph, Upshur County sheriff's offices, West Virginia State Police and task force officers with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
After the conclusion of the operation, the drug task force seized approximately 500 pounds of illegal/banned products, with an approximate street value of $500,000, and a large sum of U.S. currency.
The task force said in its statement that this is an ongoing investigation, and arrests will be forthcoming.