Are these Substations Necessary

by Staff Writer

PARKERSBURG, WV

These are pictures of the new substations at Rayon Drive, South Parkersburg at the corner of 17th and Avery Street (City of Parkersburg and the substation at the Parkersburg at City Park). The population of Parkersburg in 2012 was about 35,000 with a growth rate of -5%, according to statics.

The new movement among communities is the "Police Substations" that target certain areas of the city for "better police protection." However with the rise of the abuse of citizens' rights by the police a rational person would have some reservations in regard to these substations. In fact the police department staff these substations with private citizens and promote the substation as a "grass roots' movement. But ultimately the police are solely in control of the goings on inside the substations. A person would also have to question the training, education, and experience of staff volunteers.

It has been suggested that the volunteer staff at these stations are in fact "window dressing" and the "substation movement" is in fact another subtle attempt by the police to increase their power and interfere with civil rights.

Certainly Parkersburg, WV has had its share of incidents regarding unprofessional and poorly trained officers that have been documented in the local and state news agencies. Imagine how many complaints against this department never even make the news media. In fact news releases by the PPD to media are controlled by Lt. Young of the PPD who screens, edits and deletes according to whom and what issues are addressed.

Public beware of substations may not be entirely to the public’s benefit. There is a tendency where police are not properly supervised to use these "substations" as a convenient place to misinterpret information to their benefit, invade privacy and hunt for “department political enemies” meaning victims of any type police abuse who will stand up for their rights lawfully.