Beverly PD is on pause indefinitely, town officials say

BEVERLY, W.Va. (WBOY) — After announcing on Thursday that the Beverly Police Department was disbanded, officials confirmed to 12 News on Friday that the department will remain on pause indefinitely.

The Beverly Town Council voted to put a pause on the town’s police department last month, laying off a full-time police officer and the police chief who was a part-time employee, according to the town’s mayor, Andy Burns.

Despite the layoffs, Burns told 12 News the department’s office is still open, but its future is uncertain. The town bought the department’s building located behind city hall last year for $94,000 , using money from the Direct Coronavirus Relief Funding to West Virginia Cities and Counties, which was provided to “reinvest in critical services like police, fire and EMS which have been so critical during the pandemic,” according to Senator Joe Manchin’s website .

The town received $280,000 in total.

Mayor Burns said the building will still remain in use by the city and there are no current plans to sell it.

Officials said that the primary reason the department was placed on pause was the lack of revenue coming into it, something an anonymous councilmember said they were concerned about a year and a half ago. The department started back up in 2021 after being dormant for nearly 40 years.

“It costs money to—you know, people don’t work for free, and Beverly is small. We don’t have any taxes, the only taxes we collect are through the county through property tax, there’s no B&O tax, there’s no like a sales tax, there’s no other income. So, it just, it did not sustain itself,” said Mayor Burns.

Town officials added the department will be on pause indefinitely until another financing solution can be found.

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