Thurston County commissioners have approved funding requests from the Sheriff’s Office to procure fentanyl detection devices and to upgrade its patrol fleet.
The Sheriff’s Office said last week that it secured about $80,000 in funding to purchase High-Pressure Mass Spectrometry devices, which can accurately detect trace amounts of fentanyl in real-time.
The devices can also be set to detect other chemicals, drugs, hazardous materials, and explosives.
“TCSO will continue to seek solutions to eradicating fentanyl from our correctional facility,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Last month, the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force reported a steep increase in deaths due to fentanyl overdose. Thurston County saw 114 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2022, up from 51 in 2021 and 17 in 2020, according to Coroner Gary Warnock.
The Board of County Commissioners also granted the Sheriff’s Office over $200,000 in funding to improve its patrol fleet.
The approved funding will replace 12 patrol vehicles; the vehicles will be a model that utilizes the EcoBoost 3.0L, a twin-turbo V6 engine. The Ford Motor Company increased vehicle prices, costing $90,786 more than the previous year.
The vehicles will have white doors and limited vehicle configurations.
A replacement for a totaled vehicle is also covered in the funding total.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that the twin-turbo Ford Police Interceptors "to help mitigate our emergency response times over long distances in the county." Deputies will also be allowed to choose between a Ford Interceptor and a Chevy Tahoe, as well as customize their vehicle to fit their needs, according to the post.
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