HINTON, W.Va. β Colonel Bobby Cales, upon taking leadership of the West Virginia Natural Resources Police, envisioned several specialized teams to enhance the agency’s capabilities. One key initiative was the creation of a highly trained dive team. On Wednesday, the Division of Natural Resources proudly unveiled this team to Governor Jim Justice.
βPart of my vision when I was appointed as the Colonel was to establish an active and tactical dive team with members trained in underwater aquatics to better serve our citizens by providing a service for waterborne incidents,β said Cales.
The team is comprised of 10 dedicated Natural Resources police officers who volunteered for the detail. These officers underwent rigorous physical fitness tests and interviews before being selected. Their training was conducted by diving instructors from the South Carolina DNR, a fortuitous connection facilitated by Officer J.B. Smith’s move to West Virginia.
βOfficer J.B. Smith was with the South Carolina DNR, but his wife was hired at WVU, which allowed him to come to work for us,β Cales explained.
Smithβs enthusiasm for the program significantly contributed to its development, alongside the alliance with South Carolinaβs experienced dive team. Now, Smith is a valuable member of West Virginiaβs dive team.
The Natural Resources Police are responsible for law enforcement on the water in West Virginia and handle all water-related investigations. Cales saw the dive team as a natural extension of these duties.
βThe service this is going to provide for the state is an unmet need, in my opinion, through our agency. We should have been doing this for years,β he said.
Captain Michael Lott of DNR District 2 in Romney will command the team, which has statewide jurisdiction and can respond to any water-related issue anywhere in West Virginia.
βWe can do anything from small item recovery all the way up to things like vehicles. If somebody commits a crime and throws the shell casings in the water, we can recover the shell casings,β Lott explained.
The teamβs capabilities include recovering weapons and other evidence potentially tied to crimes that end up in the water. Since all the divers are certified law enforcement officers, they are trained in evidence recovery and handling, ensuring the chain of custody remains intact.
βBecause weβre certified officers, the chain of custody of evidence never leaves law enforcement. If we have to get a diver who is a private citizen or a local volunteer fireman, it complicates the evidence chain of custody when it gets into the courts,β Lott added.
The dive team is also trained for body recovery in the event of drownings. Currently, this process can involve waiting for a body to naturally surface, which may take days or longer. The dive team can expedite recovery, providing closure more quickly for grieving families.
Now available to all law enforcement and rescue organizations in West Virginiaβs 55 counties, the team has already received several calls but previously had to decline them due to incomplete training. With their training now complete, they are fully operational, just in time for the 4th of July.
In addition to the dive team, Cales has also developed the agencyβs K-9 program and enhanced the swift water rescue team during his tenure as Colonel.
βWe are the responding law enforcement officers equipped and trained to perform all of these duties,β Cales emphasized.
Matt Pinner is a dedicated journalist for WVPrepBB.com, specializing in USA and crime news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for uncovering the truth, Matt brings timely and insightful reporting to his readers. His work on WVPrepBB.com keeps the community informed and engaged with the latest developments in national news and criminal justice.
