The Smith and Wesson Breathalyzer 1000 was manufactured in Pittsburgh between 1975 and 1980. It was among the objects recently transported from the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department to the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum for permanent display. (Photo Provided)

WHEELING — A few pieces of Wheeling’s law enforcement past are now in Cincinnati for the public to view.

Ohio County Deputy Maj. Rod Vaught said for years old pieces of crime fighting equipment – things like superseded radar guns and fingerprint equipment – had been taking up space in his office.

Now they have a home at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.

Past sheriffs had not wanted to dispose of the equipment, both for sentimental reasons and because they wanted to display them for the public to see, according to Vaught. The items were from the 1970s.

“The last administration had hoped to get a display cabinet, but it didn’t seem like that was ever going to happen,” he said. “But it just felt wrong to put them in a dumpster.”

A museum representative came to Wheeling and took back four seemingly outdated crime fighting pieces to Cincinnati:

– A Smith and Wesson Breathalyzer 1000 that was manufactured in Pittsburgh between 1975 and 1980, Vaught reported.

– A Sirchie fingerprint camera, used to take photos and lift fingerprints from objects.

– A Sirchie crime scene kit, complete with a mini-vacuum, filters, labels and flashlight.

– A Custom Signals radar gun that was called “the alarm clock” by law enforcement. While today’s radar guns are digital, this analog gun was set to determine the maximum speed limit for vehicles on the specific highway. When that rate was exceeded, the gun sounded off like an alarm clock, Vaught explained.

Current Sheriff Nelson Croft gave Vaught permission to start calling around to see if there might be any museums or organizations interested in preserving the items.

He admitted to having some memory of seeing the items in use when he was a child.

“I think they’re really cool,” Croft said. “I remember watching my dad (retired Ohio County Detective Harry Croft) use that stuff when I was a kid.”

Vaught noted there are plenty of other items to fill the space in his office closet.

“I’m glad the stuff found a home, and I’m glad the museum was willing to drive five hours to come see the things,” he said.

On its website, the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum said its mission is to “obtain, identify, preserve, and interpret more than 10,000 law enforcement artifacts and archives and to research the history of more than 160 local, township, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies serving some 600 documented communities in … Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.”