[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6220992,"mediaKeyId","3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112","parentId",3615317,"title","Police seek to buy TrueNarc handheld analyzer with Missouri opioid settlement funds","audioSeconds",418,"startMs",5647000,"endMs",6065000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112&start=5647&end=6065","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112/thumbnail_5647000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6220992/Belton-City/Cass-County/Missouri/Police-seek-to-buy-TrueNarc-handheld-analyzer-with-Missouri-opioid-settlement-funds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220992-d4db6e1344b3557bfa0277102b34b402/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213620&Signature=okFCRYatd9TisXyYBkYbqThVxZTtw1Gb5-kLF-UhkWLv~DSkbsJKx7HEMHym8xY-natunHftL70w~REX~yz~jUs698jcAbmKHK9LLPxea6qsyjo3YHpph2PEDV-oj2~RcMw5ILJoYlORaeVPDoi6OqZCjrI-exwfF5jbEL5GsQ8mP7F9BEeQOTHoj-wBcov9jSId0dE2e6jBDi5SG43R3xWdMqOxhiFyZcZY7BQlbvj5wgYYkDMfw4O7DifyisI0fd9JoEKkgodVn6Keosjn4hpl13TRYCXq1ha99fbTwJjoJdwgRD7cBvw5-WeJPjH2XdO~4HBoMN3S7c0GG0r1vA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Belton, MO","date","2025-05-28T15:43:14Z","article","Belton police presented a request to buy a TrueNarc handheld field analyzer that uses laser spectroscopy to identify suspected controlled substances in the field and generate a printout prosecutors will accept for in‑custody charging.

Staff told council the device — manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific — performs non‑destructive, on‑scene analysis and can help officers and detectives rapidly identify substances such as fentanyl. Detective Jeff Richardson said agencies in the area borrow similar equipment but availability is limited; having a local device would let Belton file timely in‑custody charges and facilitate diversion to treatment or pretrial supervision rather than waiting months for lab results.

City staff and the police recommended funding the purchase from the city’s allocation of Missouri opioid settlement funds. The city’s allocation is $56,910; staff presented a purchase price of $31,994.20 for the analyzer plus a five‑year service warranty for $8,400, for a total of $40,394.20. Staff described the purchase as a sole‑source procurement made through a Missouri state purchasing contract.

Council members asked about alternative funding sources and lab capacity. Staff said drug forfeiture balances were exhausted and that a budget amendment would be required to use general funds; they also said opioid settlement funds had been held pending an allowable use. Staff and detectives argued the device’s timely field results would improve prosecution, allow faster linkage to treatment and reduce reoffending while protecting responders from handling hazardous substances.

The presentation closed with discussion of certification to operate the device and the operational need for more timely substance identification; no final vote on the purchase was recorded in the transcript excerpt of the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Belton City Council Meeting - May 27, 2025 - 6pm","oneSentenceSummary","Belton police proposed purchasing a TrueNarc handheld analyzer to speed field identification of suspected controlled substances; staff said the device could be purchased with the city’s opioid‑settlement allocation and would aid timely charging and diversion to treatment.","taxTitle","Belton City, Cass County, Missouri","taxId",71727,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6220998,"Belton’s mental‑health co‑responder reports reduced ER transports and high first‑time encounter rate",917,6533000,7450000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112&start=6533&end=7450","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112/thumbnail_6533000.jpg","/articles/6220998/Belton-City/Cass-County/Missouri/Beltons-mentalhealth-coresponder-reports-reduced-ER-transports-and-high-firsttime-encounter-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220998-5cbdcba26206d1022309118291dccded/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213620&Signature=ofhlKY~qvu4fbc0ZhTaR597F~Eu0VpjsNjfSJlF5llqBepYm6EWaCmui06QGKmIwU8mhfGF-Rk3MXY1lD6~vf6P57au-GkwkdWPdwY~r3efMyftu58XjHnihWr63JNxdbLfzFoEGcLBH8z2zKfd9YZDc2KcPoNvtitiAW8kxAkKaLTshXGHxVMlZXrjchXxuXDKzY9b4RlGCvBlZLDZjU7TOwKbqFT31nf0QD3f5DzKiUWhUwQKC6MSZDyrjKnZhx76SaoX6Jeqx0Nd3VvF13FNmNS5TFq6FlO9ZF4frYg6Ktf1rPQZzv7HFOaV3LU5HQkkfMEf8Wz6Feq6FXMkrTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Oscar Villarreal, the city’s behavioral health co‑responder embedded with the Belton Police Department through a grant from the Department of Justice and Missouri Department of Mental Health, told the council that his first full year on the team produced measurable reductions in hospital transports and repeat crisis calls.

Villarreal reported that from January 2024 through January 2025 the program handled 202 crisis calls involving 162 unique individuals; roughly 80 percent of calls involved people contacting crisis services for the first time. When Villarreal and an officer responded together (traditional co‑response), 84 percent of incidents were stabilized in the field and the team diverted 67 percent of appropriate cases from emergency department transport. By contrast, incidents handled without a co‑responder had lower diversion rates and higher subsequent hospital transfers.

Villarreal said his work emphasizes connecting individuals to follow‑up care — including the Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC) and local providers — and coordinating with community partners such as Heart in Hand. He told the council that the program’s goals include reducing repeat crisis contacts, returning officers to patrol more quickly and reducing strain on emergency departments.

Chief Lyons and other council members applauded the data. Council members asked about safety protocols when Villarreal operates without police backup; Villarreal said he generally notifies dispatch and maintains radio contact and that the department’s crisis intervention training and policies guide safety practices. Council members also discussed the program’s grant status and said the data should help sustain or expand funding and coverage hours.

Villarreal said the program is one part of a broader local strategy that includes CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training for officers and 988 public crisis lines; he recommended continued local partnerships and increased coverage to extend the program’s benefits.","City behavioral health co‑responder Oscar Villarreal reported that in the program’s first year the team stabilized most co‑response calls in the field, reduced emergency department transports and engaged many first‑time crisis callers.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221001,"Council rejects first reading of rezoning for 252-unit Commons of Belton on former parkland",2353,451000,2804000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112&start=451&end=2804","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3615317-965f5f2be3be418bef4568649f2a0112/thumbnail_451000.jpg","/articles/6221001/Belton-City/Cass-County/Missouri/Council-rejects-first-reading-of-rezoning-for-252-unit-Commons-of-Belton-on-former-parkland","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221001-75135db003633aff8eab81664615620e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213620&Signature=Rk8gmZxr6ObFTscn4wSiZB168YMReedlrtR64wnVaGSfOHDWv6RQPeqi06iX2l1Rhnu8cwJvbYA~95g~ctFEHpCEoNTBwP1MibyHZMmNBQPqqrwkETM2E5Rhh3v5yJu~~sKbosv8YvSgOHoyzq-H83xO~AlgGZH9E1JQTXdQBQfhDu7I-h3Sqb51llAa3l4Qi7LhuXsLMsS6FWOM7dKGKE2HVLIEe6qprgW-jtOxPxzbLRCGkcEJ0CIunbzI9PJ3XJBpV7aM1t7gq~AhTtI6y1VdgFNmPtAm-P1wRqN0-XoG9ELNCu~Bd4pvSBXaW6YdVb0rC0u1WMvnCEA-L-Gnlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Belton City Council failed to advance the first reading of an ordinance to rezone 8.03 acres at the southwest corner of Westover Road and Bong Avenue for the Commons of Belton, a proposed 252-unit multifamily development.

The proposal would rezone the site from PR (parks, recreation and public use) to R-3 PUD (multi-family, planned unit development) and adopt a preliminary development plan for seven three‑story buildings, 359 proposed parking spaces and amenities including a clubhouse, pool and two playgrounds. Community Development staff recommended approval; the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial after public comment.

Staff told council the property includes 6.87 acres owned by the city and 1.116 acres owned by Calvary University, and that the parcel had been shown as commercial on prior future land use maps until the comprehensive plan update adopted in November 2024 labeled it parks and recreation based on current use. Staff said the project is eligible for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) because it sits in Belton’s only qualified census tract, and that LIHTC applications are administered by the State of Missouri. The staff presentation described a 84/84/84 unit mix of one-, two- and three‑bedroom units and noted the developer submitted a lease restriction limiting parking to one vehicle per unit without landlord permission; staff identified the proposed reduction in parking from the code requirement (378 to 359 spaces) as the modification of greatest concern.

Members of the public and several council members pressed the developer on density, loss of parkland, parking and access to services. Cindy Creek, a resident, cited a 2023 survey respondents’ preference for preserving parkland and argued the project’s proposed 34 units per acre would be denser than comparable local developments. Attorneys and the developer’s representatives said the project is intended as workforce housing and described screening, property management and monitoring tied to LIHTC compliance; an attorney for the developer stated the LIHTC term for this application was submitted to secure a 15‑year term. The developer and project representatives also said they were discussing adding approximately 19 to 20 parking spaces (at the expense of some green space) to meet the city code standard.

Planning staff said the city’s comprehensive plan identifies the site as an underutilized property and that the proposed development would add three‑bedroom apartment units that staff said have been uncommon in recent local projects. The Planning Commission hearing on May 6 drew one speaker in support and 17 in opposition, according to staff; opposition themes included loss of green space, increased traffic and transparency about the sale and tax credit approvals.

At the council meeting a motion to postpone the first reading until the June 10 council meeting failed, and the motion on the first reading of bill 20‑25‑29 also failed; the transcript does not record a roll‑call tally for the final action. Because the first reading did not advance, the rezoning and preliminary development plan will not proceed at this meeting and must be resubmitted if the applicant or council seeks further consideration.

The council’s discussion included repeated requests for clarification about parking, traffic analyses and utility capacity; staff said a traffic analysis had been completed and that planned infrastructure improvements would accommodate the development. Staff also said if the developer does not proceed, a future developer would be bound by the PUD unless it is amended through the same process.

Council members and speakers explicitly debated tradeoffs between preserving open space and meeting documented needs for additional affordable or workforce housing; no formal decision to sell or transfer the city parcels was recorded during this session.","After a lengthy public hearing and staff presentation, the Belton City Council failed to advance the first reading of an ordinance to rezone 8.03 acres of city-owned parkland for a 252-unit apartment project, leaving the property’s future undecided.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Police seek to buy TrueNarc handheld analyzer with Missouri opioid settlement funds

Belton’s mental‑health co‑responder reports reduced ER transports and high first‑time encounter rate

Council rejects first reading of rezoning for 252-unit Commons of Belton on former parkland