The Mineral County Sheriff's Department went above and beyond the call of duty by obtaining a grant for laptop computers in its cruisers. Now it's up to area businesses to do their part by helping to expand the network the wireless devices can use, keeping more deputies in the field for longer periods of time.
Mineral County Chief Deputy Paul Sabin secured a $6,183 grant to purchase six laptop computers through the Governor's Highway Safety Click It or Ticket campaign. The grant brings to 12 the number of laptops available to the county law enforcement agency.
The laptops allow deputies in the field to instantly access law enforcement data bases, as well as file reports and perform other job functions that formerly were confined to the office.
However, as wireless units, the laptops cannot access the Internet unless they can obtain a signal.
That's where county businesses can help.
Sabin appealed to area businesses that have wireless Internet to contact the sheriff's department so that deputies can tap into those signals while on patrol.
In such cases, a deputy will pull into a business' parking lot, where the laptop can catch the signal that bleeds outside from the establishment. The deputy can then file reports or perform other administrative functions on site, remaining in the field ready to respond to the next call.
And it's not just about a business doing its civic duty. Whatever service or goods they provide, most companies welcome a law enforcement presence as reassuring to customers, and good for business.
Any Mineral County business with such a wireless Internet system is asked to contact Deputy  Paul Sabin at 304-788-0441.
 In announcing the grant earlier this week, Sheriff Gary White credited Sabin for "working diligently" to secure the funding.
Deputy Sabin did his part. Like all law enforcement officers, the other members of the Mineral County Sheriff's Department do their part every day and every night to help protect and serve the community. Now it's time for the business community to do its part to help our law enforcement officials.