BYRD’S EYE VIEW: FBI Mission Growing in West Virginia
From the desk of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-WV
Washington, DC (HNN) -- Since the FBI opened in Harrison County in 1999, the facility’s mission has grown and adapted as crime-fighting priorities have changed. West Virginians are proud of the Clarksburg complex and its evolving role in national law enforcement efforts. The agency’s Mountain State presence is helping to identify criminals and terrorists alike and to ensure the safety of all Americans.
When the Senate gets back to work after Tuesday’s midterm election, I will push for more than $449 million in funds for the FBI in Harrison County. That is a $50 million boost over the facility’s current funding -- an increase that will help the agency continue to expand its mission.
We all know that the Clarksburg FBI complex is a key tool in keeping criminals off the streets. The facility provides critical support for state and local law enforcement agencies, helping them to identify suspected criminals and analyze evidence in crime scene investigations. But perhaps not as well known is the fact that the facility also plays a growing role in America’s counterterrorism efforts.
The fingerprint database in Clarksburg includes information on some 40,000 known or suspected terrorists as part of approximately 47 million sets of fingerprints and corresponding criminal history information stored electronically at the site. Since the FBI fingerprint system became operational in Clarksburg, more than 130 million fingerprint submissions have been processed.
The FBI funding that I will push in coming months will allow the agency to keep ahead of the complex network of criminal and terrorist activities.
These dangerous individuals continually change their tactics, and the country’s defenses must always be ready to adapt. This new funding builds on the more than $1 billion that I have obtained for the Harrison County FBI’s computer and high-tech infrastructure.
The Clarksburg FBI complex is a prime example of Mountain State resources and top-notch manpower helping to meet national security and law enforcement challenges. More than 2,500 federal employees work at the Clarksburg FBI Complex, with another 1,000 contract personnel in West Virginia having jobs linked to the facility.
These men and women work each day to make the country safer. West Virginians should take great pride in the fact that our state is home to a world-class initiative that is helping the entire nation to realize a better, safer quality of life.