The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department does not act alone in all investigations. We have partnered with other Law Enforcement Organizations to help make Berkeley County, and the surrounding area, safe for our citizens. All BCSD deputies have taken a Tri-County Oath expanding their ability to assist neighboring WV jurisdictions. The department has deputies dedicated to the U.S. Marshals Task Force and Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. We are active participants of the Multi-Disciplinary Investigation Team and the Sexual Assault Response Team. We have also partnered with the A.T.F. Task Force and Alcoholic Beverage Control on various projects in our area.
The above alliances are in addition to the Special Op Units within our department. These units that can be called on by neighboring communities in need as well-
K9 Division
SWAT Team
Dive Unit
Criminal Investigations Division (CID)
Accelerated Criminal Enforcement Team (ACE)
Supporting Programs
People often say that "it takes a village". Berkeley County is blessed with organizations eager to provide help to those in need.
Each spring and fall theJefferson Berkeley Alliance on Substance Use Prevention joins with BCSD to host local DEA Drug Take Back Days. This is a national program offering to properly and safely dispose of unused-unwanted-expired prescription drugs. This event is held in the department parking lot and yielded over 284 pounds of medication in 2021! In 2022, our strong partnership with JBA enabled the installation of locked medication drop boxes at the Reeds Pharmacy locations in Hedgesville and Spring Mills. BCSD has a locked medication drop box in our office lobby as well.
Through the WV Governor's Highway Safety Programwe are able to focus on the safety enforcement. Programs such as Child Passenger Safety Programs (Ex. car-seat installations), Occupant Safety Programs (Ex. Click It Or Ticket), and DUI Enforcement Programs (Ex. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving) are a few the parts of this initiative. We were named 6th place for Top DUI Enforcement in the state, this covers 2019-2021. In 2022 we were awarded 1st place for DUI Enforcement in WV!
The Martinsburg Initiative focuses on building stronger families and direct efforts with children to prevent substance abuse. By uniting with law enforcement, schools, health organizations and the community this program has created "Kids Kits" for our deputies to keep in their cruisers. Deputies on scene can issue these "Kids Kits" to those who endure adverse childhood experiences. The kits include tactile and visual stimulation items such as: Play Doh, coloring books, crayons, small toys, squishy balls, small books, stickers and Legos.
Our deputies now take part in the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program. This nationwide program is a partnership with Berkeley County Day Report Center. When deputies encounter criminal activity they can opt to refer the qualified offender. Deputies give the offender the option to enter a rehabilitation program in place of incarceration, letting them know the deputy will send a report to BCDRC. The requirement is that the individual report to the BCDRC within 48 hours to begin the program or the BCSD will be contacted to move forward with charges.
Handle with Care is a program run through Berkeley County Schools to help children who have been exposed to trauma. Emergency responders with children on the scene will send an alert to the schools with a brief description to make the school personnel aware that that child may need special attention due to the event in their life. BCSD is part of the newest version of the program that looks after the children throughout their school career.
As a joint project with WVU Medicine, the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the BCSD, the Stop the Bleed Program is designed to help train the public to save lives in the event someone nearby is injured and severely bleeding. This is a incredible effort that has trained over 1.5 million people worldwide to be better prepared in the event of an emergency. We recently we awarded a grant to help fund Jacob's Kits for the deputies as well as schools and other agencies.
