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Montgomery County OKs purchase of narcotics analyzer with opioid settlement funds
Summary
The county commission voted to buy a hand-held narcotics analyzer for the sheriff’s office using opioid settlement dollars, leaving roughly $10,300 in the county account; commissioners stressed balancing enforcement tools with prevention spending.
Montgomery County commissioners voted to buy a handheld drug-analyzing instrument for the sheriff’s office using the county’s opioid-settlement funds.
Sheriff Rick Turner told commissioners the device can scan suspected controlled substances without handling them and identify fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other compounds. “It’s really a safety concern for us,” Turner said during the March meeting, adding the tool allows deputies to test suspected drugs “without having to touch the drugs.”
Turner presented a vendor quote that included a five-year warranty; the document in the meeting packet listed a total near $44,008 for the device and warranty. County staff said the purchase would be paid from the county’s opioid settlement account; after the purchase the packet showed roughly $10,302 would remain in the account. The sheriff’s office said the device is the only one currently recognized by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for this purpose.
Commissioners discussed alternative uses for opioid settlement money, including prevention programs run through the county health office. Turner and supporters said the analyzer addresses an immediate safety risk for deputies who may otherwise encounter fentanyl on-scene. Commissioners noted the funds are projected to continue arriving over the next decade but that the exact amounts are estimates, not guaranteed.
The commission approved the purchase by voice vote. County staff said they would coordinate use of the machine across county jurisdictions and make it available to municipal departments as needed.
Background: Montgomery County has been allocating opioid-settlement proceeds to a mix of prevention, treatment and enforcement projects. Commissioners said earlier awards included school-based prevention and jail-based reentry programs. The sheriff’s request was reviewed by the Kansas attorney general’s office and returned as within the settlement’s allowable uses, according to materials in the meeting packet.
The county intends to follow up with the county health office and other stakeholders to document how remaining and future opioid funds will be prioritized.
