A new interactive map from the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia makes information about police hirings and firings public.
For all police officers certified to work in the state, it lists which departments they’ve previously worked at, how long they worked there, and the terms of their separation.
According to a 2020 report from the organization, there are around 200 reported complaints of police misconduct in West Virginia each year, although the true number of infractions is likely higher.
Kyle Vass, an investigative reporter with the ACLU of West Virginia, said it’s common for police officers who are fired or resign to end up continuing to do their police work. He said people ought to have a right to know if an officer in their community has a problematic history.
“That information is really important when it comes to trial or court proceedings,” said Vass, “because if an officer has a problematic history and was fired from a previous department, you and/or your attorney need to be able to know why that officer was fired.”
The Police Accountability Dashboard data is current as of September 24, 2025.
In addition to showing employment history, the dashboard displays county-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau to show diversity indices, poverty rates, and officer distribution across all of West Virginia’s 55 counties.
Vass said he believes the dashboard will be utilized across the state, making it easier for lawyers to obtain information in cases related to police officers.
“We’ve already gotten feedback from some public defender offices that this tool has really changed the way that they’re going about their cases,” said Vass, “because they’re now checking every single officer who is involved in a case.”
From 2023 to 2024, Americans’ confidence in the police increased by 8% points to 51%, according to 2024 Gallup poll. It’s the largest year-over-year change in the public perception of any major U.S. institution.
