KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners has approved spending funding from opioid settlements to buy a full body scanner for the Kalamazoo County Jail, over protests from some citizens.
Several said the Sheriff’s goal is to just make more arrests by catching arrestees with drugs, and that they don’t see how a scanner would treat or prevent drug use.
Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Jim VanDyken says their goal is safety, not only for the suspect who may have drugs on them, or in them, but to make sure they aren’t trying to smuggle in weapons.
He says jail personnel are no longer allowed to strip search inmates, which makes it impossible to find what the prisoners may have on them.
Board Chair John Taylor says many inmates have substance abuse problems, and keeping drugs out of the jail is both treatment and prevention.
Kalamazoo County could receive anywhere from $12 to $18 million or more from the opioid settlements with drug manufacturers and pharmacies, and they intend to spend most of it on drug treatment and prevention programs in the community.
reporting from John McNeill
Absolutely need a scanner! Drugs aren’t the biggest problem. I would think weapons is what they are checking for for their own safety. With all the violent crime these days, police need to do everything they can to protect themselves ad well as the public