Established in 1873, the Parkersburg Police Department provides law enforcement and crime prevention services. It serves the city of Parkersburg, W.Va., which has a population of more than 33,000 residents. The department intervenes in cases of domestic violence and provides information and assistance to victims who are unfamiliar to the criminal justice system. Its investigators interview people, gather documents and evaluate the facts of a crime. Additionally, the department provides a range of services, such as sex offender information, telemarketing fraud prevention, security inspection, animal control, traffic safety, firearms licensing and the recovery of stolen property. It offers training to its officers related to watercraft enforcement, cyber crime and traffic crash reconstruction.