Dave Mistich Published

W.Va. Legislative Audit: Inventory Requirements for State-Owned Firearms Needs Update

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West Virginia’s Legislative Auditor has issued a report and other materials related to the state’s inventory of firearms and ammunition. According to materials released Tuesday, there are gaps in inventory and reporting requirements for many state agencies.

 

A legislative audit says 58 state agencies are exempt from state purchasing requirements and, therefore, would not be subject to firearms inventories.

The report says the state does not have an accurate count of how many firearms it owns — resulting in a “substantial risk” to public safety and liability to the state of West Virginia.

In a letter addressed to Senate President Mitch Carmichael and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, the Legislative Auditor’s office suggests changing state code to make it mandatory for all agencies to keep an inventory of firearms.

A full report on the Public Service Commission’s storage of firearms was also delivered Tuesday. It says the PSC holds an accurate inventory of its firearms and has strong physical controls in place to protect them.

However, the report also states that the PSC does not maintain an accurate inventory of ammunition.