Law enforcement officers Wednesday conducted the second of what Wheeling Police Chief Robert Matheny said will be a series of operations aimed at serving outstanding warrants.
Officers from the Wheeling Police Department, as well as agents operating within the Mountaineer Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service, went to Wheeling Island and surrounding areas around 2 p.m. Wednesday to issue the warrants.
This widespread warrant service, as well as a similar operation conducted in June, was executed in conjunction with the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative on Wheeling Island.
Officers arrested five individuals and served four domestic violence petitions before the operation concluded around 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Wheeling Deputy Chief Mike VanKirk said while the number of arrests were low, the operation will prompt many of those who are wanted on charges to turn themselves in.
Matheny described Wednesday's event as a "mini-roundup," but said his department will work with the West Virginia State Police and the Ohio County Sheriff's Department to conduct larger warrant services throughout the city of Wheeling.
Every other month, Matheny said, law enforcement will address outstanding warrants in one of the six wards, until the entire city has been covered. In addition to identifying and arresting individuals wanted by law enforcement, the operations will reduce the number of active warrants on file.
The following Wheeling residents were arrested during the roundup Wednesday: