Yancey County Sheriff's Department Portable Substance Analyzer Project

The County of Yancey proposes to implement the Yancey County Sheriff’s Department Portable Substance Analyzer Project. The purpose of this project is to increase the safety of the deputies and other staff members. Residents of Yancey County along with other agency emergency first responders will benefit from the project in that living and work environments will be made safer.

    Project activities include safely and efficiently identifying potentially hazardous controlled substances, substantiating proper risk assessments, increasing cost efficient methods of identifying potentially harmful/lethal controlled substances, while increasing successful prosecution rates. 

    Expected outcomes include reduction of unintended and/or accidental exposer to the patrol deputies and other emergency first responders, with being able to identify the substances encountered. Training of new deputies and other personnel to familiarizing them with the physical characteristics of controlled substances enabling them to know when to take additional or extra precautions to reduce exposure.

    The ability to identify potentially harmful and hazardous substances will aid the deputies, citizens, and other responding emergency personnel in preparing a proper risk assessment in order to determine safe handling procedures such as: is personal protective equipment needed; ensuring proper ventilation; knowing what decontamination protocols should be taken; and if medical support will be needed. With the identity of controlled substances being made easier to determine, swifter medical attention will be received to counter the affects the substance may have on the individual that has been exposed. This will assist with lessening the number of deaths associated with overdoses. Increased awareness of potential lethal controlled substances entering the community with publications as well as collected statistical data will enhance community security while contributing to a safer community.

    The project will replace most of the traditional field presumptive controlled substance test kits purchased, resulting in a reduction of cost for the county. Criminal offenses that are often associated with use and/or abuse of controlled substances include: theft, child abuse and/or neglect, domestic violence and other violent crimes; leads to a decreased sense of security among the community. Criminal offenses related to controlled substances will be reduced with higher more successful prosecution rates.

    This project will grant the agency with the means to effectively and efficiently identify a wide variety of, potentially lethal, controlled substances and in turn will enable them to provide better services to their citizens of Yancey County. The Yancey County Sheriff’s Department is the intended beneficiary of the project.