WEIRTON — The city has given its latest installment of funds provided through the state’s settlement fund program.

During its meeting Monday, Weirton Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the allocation of $120,601 from the city’s share of West Virginia Opioid Settlement Funds to the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force to fund the purchase of five years of service for cell phone extraction software.

There was no discussion offered during Monday’s meeting on the matter; however, as part of last week’s city finance committee meeting, task force officials explained the software is used to extract information from mobile devices, often as part of investigations into drug trafficking or overdose cases.

The cost for the software has been increasing in recent years, leading to the task force requesting financial assistance.

During the end-of-meeting reports, City Manager Mike Adams offered support for the purchase.

“It’s a very effective use of technology in the fight against drugs in our town,” Adams said.

Adams previously noted there have been 500 instances since 2017 of such data extractions being used for investigations in Weirton.

Not everyone spoke in favor of the measure during Monday’s meeting.

Resident Benjamin Luke addressed council prior to them conducting business, focusing his comments on concerns about what he considers the normalization of surveillance equipment in the community and the city issuing so much of the opioid funds for law enforcement uses instead of treatment programs or other services to assist those affected by substance abuse.

“It does not treat addiction,” Luke said of the equipment. “It criminalizes people after the fact.”

Luke encouraged council to consider providing support to programs, instead, which would expand care and treatment options.

“Invest in recovery. Invest in health. Invest in your citizens,” he said.

This is the fourth allotment provided from Weirton’s share of opioid funds for law enforcement purposes.

The city previously provided $9,586 to the Weirton Police Department for the purchase of DUI simulation goggles; $211,654.85 to purchase two vehicles and related equipment for the department’s K-9 division along with street-based video systems and license plate reader systems; and $74,926.36 to purchase video surveillance equipment for use in vehicles and city neighborhoods.

Council also has allocated $240,000 to the WVU Hancock County Extension Service to establish a prevention program assistant position; $277,555.10 to the Weirton Fire Department to purchase automated external defibrillators and a mechanical chest compression system; $66,000 to the Northwood Health Systems to fund a peer recovery support specialist position; and $82,964 to Northwood to support an outpatient peer recovery support services staff member.