West Virginia Diverts 911 Fees

{Charleston, West Virginia}...According to a report by the Federal Communication Commission, West Virginia collected $3.9 million in 911 fees last year, which were diverted to the West Virginia State Police, Public Service Commission and the Division of Homeland Security. The report says West Virginia's Homeland Security office received $1.77 million and used the money to expand a statewide "interoperable," or shared, radio system. State Police got $1.16 million, and the state Public Service Commission received $1 million to expand cell towers. The fees, tacked onto customers' monthly cellphone bills, were designed to pay for equipment upgrades and facility improvements at county 911 centers across the state. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said Monday that folks who pay the 911 fee honestly believed it was for 911. Carper called it a back-door raid on funds.