Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. We do not keep a separate log of those search terms.
Messages and Contact Submissions
We retain an email or other direct message when needed to respond. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our systems receive basic technical information when a visitor loads a page:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring website, when one is supplied
- Pages viewed and approximate time spent on them
- Device category and operating system
- Browser name and version
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files that help measure how visitors move through the website, including popular pages and common exit points. Analytics providers combine this traffic information for us. A browser can reject cookies, although doing so may change how some features work.
What We Do With This Data
- Route a search request to the selected outside provider
- Maintain performance and website availability
- Diagnose errors and other technical problems
- Understand which resources visitors use most
- Display advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
We do not build, retain, or sell a database of personal criminal histories. The website identifies custodians such as Berkeley County courts, the sheriff, the West Virginia State Police Criminal Identification Bureau, and the West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry. Criminal-history disclosure by the state repository is separately governed by West Virginia Code §15-2-24. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor information is not compiled into a report about another person.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the embedded search tools. Their privacy terms, retention rules, and sharing practices apply to information entered there. Review the provider's policy before submitting a query because we do not control its processing.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Berkeley County offices, West Virginia agencies, court systems, legal-aid resources, or private tools. Once a visitor leaves this website, the destination's privacy policy controls. Read it before providing personal information.
Some advertisers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. That tracking is subject to their terms.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal data. Limited information can be disclosed to:
- Advertising networks that serve material on the website
- Analytics vendors measuring traffic and performance
- Search providers receiving a query sent through their tool
- A government body or law-enforcement agency acting under a valid legal demand
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable security practices are used to protect information in our control. No internet system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee that a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will remove it.
Your Data Rights
Rights can vary with a person's location and the law that applies. The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, chapter 29B, governs access to records held by public bodies. It does not turn this private website into a public agency. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request deletion of personal information where a right applies
- Ask to correct inaccurate personal information
- Seek access to personal information we retain
- Opt out of a processing activity when applicable law permits it
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. A changed version will be posted here with its new effective date, and visitors should review it periodically.
Effective date: August 11, 2026