State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his Office’s recent unclaimed property firearms auction raised more than $13,000 for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department – funds that can now be used to improve safety and law enforcement efforts in the local community.
“I’m proud my Office partners with local law enforcement agencies from across the state to conduct these regular auctions to help make our local communities and those who protect them safer,” Treasurer Moore said. “This year's auction raised a record amount of funds that police departments can use to invest in new equipment, facilities and training programs they need to protect and serve our citizens.”
The State Treasurer’s Office’s unclaimed property firearms auction raises funds by selling outdated, unclaimed or old firearms, ammunition and related accessories in police inventory to qualified bidders.
Treasurer Moore said Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, which regularly participates in the auctions, will receive $13,689 from the most recent auction that occurred March 16 in Charleston.
“This is a perfect example of maximizing relationships between government entities to most efficiently provide for the taxpayers,” Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger said. “This opportunity gives Jackson County the ability to help keep our deputies equipped with the best equipment and resources to better their work environment and the community as a whole.”
The most recent firearms auction raised a record total of more than $141,000 to benefit the 15 law enforcement agencies that participated in it. The auction featured the largest inventory up for bid – approximately 600 firearms lots and 47 accessories and ammunition lots available at the auction.
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(Chapter 36, Article 8A), state and local law enforcement agencies are allowed to turn over any unclaimed, seized or outdated firearms in their possession to the State Treasurer’s Office for auction.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.