Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Criminal Justice Taskforces topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
KBI highlights JFIT fentanyl task force, blue‑alert capture and new 287(g) authority
Summary
KBI director described a state‑led fentanyl task force that he says reversed a federal-centric model, credited a cross‑state Blue Alert with locating a KC‑area suspect in Ellis, Kansas, and explained the bureau has obtained 287(g) authority to investigate certain federal immigration matters in support of its violent‑crime priorities.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation told the Committee on Government Efficiency that the agency has reorganized its enforcement partnerships in recent years, building a state‑led fentanyl task force and multidisciplinary units for child victims while expanding information‑sharing with the Highway Patrol.
Director Mativi (as introduced at the hearing) described JFIT, the joint fentanyl impact team established after 2022 at the attorney general’s direction. He said the bureau rejected a traditional federal task‑force model that often led to state agents being absorbed into federal caseloads; instead, KBI made a state‑first collaboration model that invited federal partners to contribute resources. “We broke the mold. We're doing it differently,” he said. The director credited the approach for better local outcomes and said DEA, HSI, FBI, ATF and other federal agencies now participate.
On alert systems and an operational example, KBI’s Megan McGinnis led the bureau’s alert program and helped coordinate a cross‑state Blue Alert after a police officer was shot in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Director Mativi said the Blue Alert — coordinated with Missouri authorities — contributed to locating the suspect at a Days Inn in Ellis, Kansas; local agencies and KBI’s High‑Risk Warrant Team (HRWT) apprehended the suspect without further injury.
Child‑victim and forensic capacity: Mativi said the bureau expanded child‑victim units (CVUs) to all three investigative regions after federal and local support; those CVUs are multidisciplinary and work with child advocacy centers, DCF, and sexual‑assault nurse examiners. He also highlighted the KBI forensic laboratory on the Washburn University campus, which handled 55,000 evidence items in 2024, produced 26,000 reports and supported 500 agencies with no test fee to submitting agencies.
287(g) authority and priorities: Mativi explained that the bureau formally executed a 287(g) agreement under federal immigration law to give KBI agents an additional tool to investigate the bureau’s top priorities — crimes of violence, public corruption and organized criminal activity (notably drug trafficking and fentanyl). He said the bureau is not shifting to immigration enforcement as its primary mission but will use 287(g) selectively to hold dangerous, non‑citizen offenders if ICE is unable to respond quickly.
Ending: the director emphasized collaboration with the Highway Patrol (for aviation and communications support) and other partners. He asked the Legislature to note that cooperative, state‑first models can preserve local control while leveraging federal resources.
