FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Inside the Kentucky State Police forensic lab in Frankfort, Jeremy Triplett is showing off one of the department's eight TruNarc devices.
The handheld form of this technology is about five years old, and more and more law enforcement agencies are gaining access to them. And why not, given what they are capable of doing.
"This has dramatically increased the safety profile of what they can do in their jobs," said Triplett. "Without taking the substance out of packaging without inhaling, or being exposed to the drugs. It's a game changer," he continued.
TruNarc is a device that can be held up to a pouch containing drug material, and in less than 90 seconds, it can detect exactly what's in the bag. At the very least, it will detect what substance or chemical is most prevalent in the bag. This is particularly useful to officers when making arrests and potentially seizing materials that could be laced with Fentanyl, which can be extremely dangerous when touched or accidentally inhaled.
Triplett said the TruNarc technology has also served to lighten the workload in his office, even if only slightly, because it saves his staff the step of preliminary testing of every single seized item that comes into the office.
"Having a field test this good, and this safe, helps us to be more efficient in the laboratory, too," Triplett said.
LEX 18 has learned that the Lexington Division of Police could be next in line to receive the TruNarc device from KSP. Each device costs roughly $20,000, which comes with unlimited scanning ability.
