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The Kanawha County town of Clendenin no longer has a police officer. Town council members fired the police chief and
laid off two other officers last month to save about 30-thousand dollars a year.
Clendenin joins dozens of small towns in West Virginia that can no longer afford police protection. Elizabeth, the county seat
of Wirt, has been without a policeman for several years.
Grantsville Mayor Gary Knight has expressed concern about police coverage for the town of 550. The town council minutes
indicated current Chief Charles McCroskey may be resigning to accept another job, and officer Steve Husk is no longer interested
in a position.
Grantsville's current auxiliary police force would become null and void without a certified policeman. The town does have
several applications for the position, but none of them reportedly have been through training.
In Clendenin, two council members David Ross and Timothy Huffman say at least two officers should be hired immediately,
mentioning a candidate currently at the State Police Academy. However, the town is teetering on bankruptcy.
Clendenin's new mayor says the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department will respond to emergency calls in Clendenin. She has asked
the sheriff's department to also help establish a community watch program with residents.
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