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Riley County police outline behavioral-threat team, jail body scanner and homelessness coordination
Summary
Riley County Police Director briefed commissioners on a pending school-safety grant, formation of a multidisciplinary behavioral-threat assessment team, approval of a jail body scanner, a potential Trinity Healthcare enrollment option for inmates and ongoing work by a homelessness task force.
Riley County Police Director Brian Pete updated the county commission on Aug. 21 about a package of public-safety initiatives that include a pending school-safety grant, work with federal investigative partners, the formation of a multidisciplinary behavioral-threat assessment team and implementation of a body scanner at the county jail.
Pete told commissioners the department is still awaiting notice on a submitted school-safety and security grant intended to cover county schools. He said the department is engaging federal partners — including Homeland Security Investigations and other task forces — to expand investigative capacity without increasing sworn staffing levels.
On multidisciplinary response, Pete said the department has “unveiled internally a new policy to stand up a behavioral threat assessment team unit,” describing the BTAT as a group that will combine law enforcement, prosecution, community mental-health providers and other professionals to review threats or concerning behavior and coordinate responses and services. He said the county is also discussing work with private vendors and technology firms to explore intelligence-led policing tools and artificial-intelligence assistance for those efforts.
Pete reported the county’s law board approved purchase of a body scanner and that the department plans to have the scanner installed in the jail by the end of the month. He also described an ongoing review of a potential enrollment option through Trinity Healthcare that, if adopted, would allow the county jail to enroll individuals in an insurance program with a $2,000 deductible; Pete said the program appeared to carry no immediate county or police fiscal lift but that staff would continue to evaluate its details.
Pete said the county’s homelessness task force is continuing work to gather data and coordinate with downstream service providers; he voiced concern that people transported or directed to Riley County from neighboring jurisdictions place additional strain on local resources. Commissioners and staff discussed plans to gather incident-level data and to engage state legislators and regional partners to address cross-jurisdictional movement of people needing services.
On the county budget, Pete stated the department’s intention for the next budget cycle: “for 2026, the Riley County Police Department will be asking for an entirely flat budget,” noting any increases (for example COLA) would need to be absorbed internally unless unavoidable.
