City of Parsons Police 
By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Parsons Police Chief Kevin Keplinger updated the Parsons City Council on recent developments within his department on June 18th during the City’s regular meeting. Included in the updates were a stolen car case out of Ohio and an email from Senator Manchin’s office regarding a Congressional spending funding request.
Keplinger informed the Council of a case involving a stolen vehicle out of Ohio. Keplinger said he had received a call from Guernsey County, OH Sheriff detectives regarding a stolen vehicle that was suspected to be in the area. “We received a call about a week and a half, two weeks ago from Guernsey County, Ohio,” Keplinger said. “The Sheriff’s department detectives up there, on a stolen vehicle complaint that they felt might be in the area.”
Keplinger credited Patrolman Gidley with making the break in the case when he recognized where the individual was located. “We conducted an investigation,” Keplinger said. “Patrolman Gidley was able to recognize from some photos where that individual was located.”
Keplinger said when a search warrant was served, the department found evidence including parts from the vehicle that are being utilized by the Guernsey, OH Sheriff Department in their investigation. According to Keplinger, the vehicle had been brought to the Parsons area to be parted out and sold. “Subsequently, a search warrant was served,” Keplinger said. “We found parts for a vehicle that were going to assist the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Department with their investigation into the vehicle that was brought here and then parted out and sold.”
Several arrest warrants have been issued in the case, according to Keplinger, from multiple jurisdictions. “In the process of that, we were able to obtain arrest warrants for this individual,” Keplinger said. “There are also arrest warrants out of Ohio for this individual and a parole violation out of Warren County for this individual. So we’re kind of tying up that investigation.”
Keplinger also informed the Council that he had received an email from the Senator’s office on Friday, June 14th regarding a $50,000 request for Congressional Directed Funding for license plate readers for the Police Department. “One of my proposals to request for license plate reader cameras and different things, has been forwarded on, as one of his proposals,” Keplinger said.
According to Keplinger, while the email was a good sign, it does not confirm that the request has been granted. “ That doesn’t mean that its a done deal,” Keplinger said. “But when you look at Congressionally Directed Spending, that’s kind of the big hurdle.”
Keplinger said he was hopeful that he would have a determination by the end of summer, with disbursement of funds expected in the Spring. “We should know, hopefully by the end of summer whether that has been approved or not,” Keplinger said. “I am optimistic with that, though that we will receive that funding by Spring of next year.”
