State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his Office’s recent unclaimed property firearms auction raised nearly $30,000 for the Parkersburg Police Department – the largest amount of funds raised for a participating law enforcement agency from the state’s 11th firearms auction.
“West Virginia is the only State Treasurer’s Office in the country that raises funds for law enforcement by auctioning off unclaimed and seized firearms that would have otherwise been destroyed,” Treasurer Moore said. “Each year, this program continues to grow and benefit more police and sheriff’s departments around the state. It is an honor to partner with the Parkersburg Police Department through my Office’s ever-growing firearms auction program.”
The Parkersburg Police Department received $29,208.38 from the State Treasurer’s Office’s most recent auction, which occurred on March 21 in Charleston. Treasurer Moore presented the check to Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board at the Parkersburg Police Department on Thursday, April 18. The department turned over approximately 190 firearms to be purchased by qualified bidders at the recent auction.
“The firearms auction program offered by the State Treasurer’s Office is paramount to the success of participating police departments because it allows us to invest in initiatives and purchase vital equipment and gear for our officers,” Chief Board said. “By taking guns off of the street, we are able to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome that benefits both the police department and residents of Parkersburg.”
State Treasurer Riley Moore presents an unclaimed property firearms auction check worth $29,208.38 to Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board and representatives of the Parkersburg Police Department on Thursday, April 18.
The firearms auction raised more than $98,000 to benefit the 19 participating law enforcement agencies – upholding last year’s record-high number of police departments, sheriff’s offices and police detachments turning over property for the auction. The auction raises funds by selling outdated, unclaimed or old firearms, ammunition and related accessories in police inventory to qualified bidders.
The auctions are not open to the general public; only pre-registered Federal Firearms License Holders can attend and are eligible to bid.
Under West Virginia’s Unclaimed Property Code (Chapter 36, Article 8A), state and local law enforcement agencies are allowed to turn over any unclaimed, seized or outdated firearms in their possession to the State Treasurer’s Office for auction.
These include weapons that are older and no longer used by a department, or that have been seized as evidence and sitting in storage rooms for an extended amount of time following the disposition of a case. They can also include weapons taken from individuals who are not legally allowed to own firearms.
Once law enforcement certifies they cannot find a lawful owner of the firearms, they can be turned over to the Treasurer’s Office for auction.
The proceeds from the auction are then returned to the submitting agency for use.