Morrisey Comes To Clarksburg To Report Declines In Violent Crime, Property Crime And Overdose Deaths

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — West Virginia reported declines in violent crime, property crime and drug overdose deaths in 2025 as Gov. Patrick Morrisey traveled to Clarksburg Tuesday to highlight the new numbers alongside state and local law enforcement officials.

Morrisey held the public safety announcement at the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center, where Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny II introduced the governor before an audience that included law enforcement officers and state officials.

State figures released during the event show reported violent crime fell 5.6% in 2025, declining from 4,310 offenses to 4,070. The governor’s office said West Virginia’s violent crime rate was about 31% below the national average.

Reported property crime fell even more sharply, decreasing 13.5% from 19,289 offenses to 16,685.

Drug overdose deaths also declined 12%, representing 99 fewer deaths, according to figures released by the governor’s office.

“One violent crime is too many,” Morrisey said during the Clarksburg announcement, while calling the 5.6% statewide decline meaningful.

The governor credited cooperation among local, state and federal law enforcement, along with expanded enforcement efforts, drug interdiction and investments in prevention, treatment and recovery.

Morrisey said maintaining public safety is also closely connected to West Virginia’s broader economic development efforts, arguing that new investment and job creation depend in part on communities remaining safe places to live and work.

A significant portion of Tuesday’s announcement focused on efforts to disrupt the supply of fentanyl and other illegal drugs entering West Virginia.

State officials highlighted several major enforcement operations, including a Mercer County investigation in which West Virginia State Police, the Southern Regional Drug Task Force and Appalachia HIDTA seized 54 pounds of suspected fentanyl, 70 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 15 firearms and three brick presses.

Another operation involving State Police and the McDowell County prosecutor included eight search warrants across Mercer, McDowell and Cabell counties and resulted in the seizure of 12 pounds of fentanyl along with methamphetamine, firearms and other evidence.

Morrisey said fentanyl-specific charges increased 16% in 2025. Through Aug. 10 of this year, 369 fentanyl charges had already been recorded, according to statistics presented during the news conference.

West Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Jim Mitchell said troopers are on pace to respond to approximately 300,000 calls for service during 2026 and said the agency currently has a 73% clearance rate for investigations.

Mitchell emphasized that many of the major drug investigations involve cooperation among State Police, municipal departments, sheriff’s offices, prosecutors and federal agencies because trafficking organizations frequently operate across jurisdictional boundaries.

The West Virginia First Foundation was also highlighted during the Clarksburg event as part of the state’s response to substance use disorder.

The foundation, which administers portions of West Virginia’s opioid settlement money, had committed nearly $40 million to 171 community projects across all six regions of the state through the end of 2025.

Jonathan Board, executive director of the West Virginia First Foundation, said the investments have supported prevention, treatment, recovery services, quick response teams and other programs across West Virginia.

The broader decline in overdose deaths has been particularly significant over the past several years. West Virginia recorded 1,400 overdose fatalities in 2023 and 816 in 2024, a decline of approximately 42%. The additional 12% decline reported for 2025 represents continued progress following that historic reduction.

Despite the improving numbers, state officials repeatedly cautioned Tuesday that the work is not finished.

Morrisey urged residents to continue reporting suspected criminal activity to law enforcement and said tips from the public remain an important part of investigations.

“Crime has no safe haven in West Virginia,” Morrisey said.

Mitchell said additional investigations are currently underway across the state, although details cannot yet be released because of their ongoing nature.

The superintendent also said State Police continues to recruit and is currently testing candidates for its next trooper class, which is scheduled to begin in March 2027.

For Morrisey, Tuesday’s stop in Clarksburg was an opportunity to report measurable improvement while emphasizing that state and local agencies intend to continue the enforcement efforts behind the numbers.

“The numbers tell us that West Virginia is becoming safer,” Mitchell said. “Our job is to make sure that that progress continues.”