Clay County is replacing an aging narcotics analyzer with updated technology designed to identify suspected drugs quickly while reducing officers’ exposure to potentially dangerous substances.

Commissioners recently approved the $28,557 purchase of a Thermo Fisher TruNarc Delta handheld narcotics analyzer and supplies for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). The purchase was not included in the county’s budget, but funding is available through the sheriff’s office’s Federal Equitable Sharing Fund.

County documents note the department’s current TruNarc analyzer was purchased in 2019 and has been used by personnel in patrol, investigations, school resource, detention and specialized units. The device is now broken and no longer under warranty.

Investigations Division Commander Capt. Chris Johnson explained the device has undergone multiple repairs and has reached the point where it can no longer be repaired, with its port now failing.

At the same time, narcotics and the compounds being e…