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Law enforcement warns drug-testing and Narcan costs strain local budgets
Summary
A law enforcement representative told the committee that agencies now absorb drug-testing costs and that Narcan replacement and storage are costly, creating an operational budget pressure that settlement funds could help address.
A law-enforcement representative (S2) said agencies face steady costs for Narcan, training and drug testing, and that recent changes to practice and law mean municipalities can no longer rely on defendants to reimburse testing costs.
"Now by law, all law enforcement officers have to be trained in the use to carry Narcan... Narcan has a life expectancy. It can be expensive," the speaker said, noting that some tests required for prosecution are routed to state labs and are expensive. The speaker described local access to a TrueNarc machine that can be used for field identification but said confirmatory testing for trial remains costly.
Committee members discussed whether settlement funds can be used to support law-enforcement expenses (testing supplies, Narcan replacement and training) while balancing community priorities for prevention, treatment and recovery.
