WINFIELD — During Tuesday’s Putnam County Commission meeting, commissioners approved the use of opioid settlement money for a online subscription, allowing the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department to unlock suspect smartphones and devices during investigations.
Putnam County Commissioners Brian Ellis (at left) and Andy Skidmore are shown during the Aug. 12, 2025 county commission meeting.
AMANDA LARCH HINCHMAN | For the Gazette-Mail
Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton said he, the City of Hurricane and the Putnam County Commission entered into an agreement to purchase the subscription. Previously, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Hurricane Police Department sent devices to the South Charleston Police Department to have them unlocked.
“It’s very expensive," Eggleton said. But in today’s world of technology it’s almost imperative that you have this,†Eggleton said.Â
It typically costs about $1,000 to unlock a phone, Eggleton said, and the sheriff’s department has been sending 10-15 a year to South Charleston for their assistance.
“They’ve been eating that cost,†Eggleton said. “Now it’s time for us to do something.â€
Once purchased, the Cellebrite system will be stored at the Putnam County Sheriff’s office in Winfield, and Eggleton said Hurricane Police will be given the ability to use the technology whenever needed as well.
Commission President Andy Skidmore said the subscription will cost about $10,000 in the first year and about $7,000 a year to maintain it. Having the service should also help with the timeline of an investigation, Skidmore said.
“Hopefully we don’t have that issue [where] we’re needing more than 15 breaks a year, but you have that ability to add more if needed,†Skidmore said of the subscription plan. “My understanding also is that sometimes it could take some time to get that back. Obviously, if an investigation is going on, it’s important to have access to that information as [quickly] as possible.â€
Discussion about police cruisers; other purchases completed
In other business, Eggleton discussed donating three retired Putnam County Sheriff cruisers to the municipalities of Buffalo, Eleanor and Poca.
“Being a former small-town [police] chief I understand how finances can be a little tight sometimes,†Eggleton said, who served as Nitro police chief from 2017-2020 and Winfield police chief from 2015-2017. “I reached out to those three communities, those three chiefs and mayors and asked them if that was something they would like and they all three agreed and very much appreciate it.â€
In other business, commissioners accepted the contract resolutions and assurances for the 2025 Community Corrections Grant for the amount of $130,000, presented by Putnam County Day Report Director Jamey Hunt, and the commission approved a funding request for $2,750 for the 96th annual Putnam County Homecoming festival.
Commissioner Doug Pierson and county manager Tim Hanna were absent from the meeting to attend the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia’s annual conference and training.
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