This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to clarify the requirements for municipal chief executives, specifically municipal police chiefs. It stipulates that, effective July 1, 2018, any person elected or appointed to serve as the chief executive of a municipal law-enforcement agency must be a certified or certifiable law-enforcement officer, as outlined in section 30-29-5 of the code. However, there is an exemption for chief executives of municipal law-enforcement agencies who were employed prior to this date and are not certified law-enforcement officers, allowing them to continue in their positions without meeting the new certification requirement. The primary purpose of this bill is to ensure that all elected municipal police chiefs possess the necessary law enforcement certification, thereby enhancing the professionalism and accountability of municipal law enforcement agencies in West Virginia. The bill aims to strengthen the qualifications for leadership within these agencies, ensuring that those in charge have the appropriate training and certification to effectively manage law enforcement operations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 30-29-13