SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall testified in front of the U.S. Senate about stopping the flow of fentanyl into our region.
Chief Hall said police have seized thousands of fentanyl pills coming into the city, most coming into the country from legal points of entry.
The police chief is calling for new technology that could help detect fentanyl being smuggled into the U.S. on planes, boats or cars.
Chief Hall hopes Congress will pass the ‘Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act.’ The bill would provide funding for non-intrusive technology like x-rays or vapor technology to detect drugs like fentanyl at transportation hubs across the country.
“This is a very complex problem, it requires complex solutions,” Chief Hall said. “Having all of those technologies and all of those different approaches is just going to enhance law enforcement’s ability to detect and seize these narcotics.”
Chief Hall said smugglers have disassembled cars to hide fentanyl in every possible compartment then put the cars back together and sent them out on the road.
According to the State Department of Health, opioid deaths in Spokane have been above the state average since 2019. Chief Hall said having more canine units to detect drugs and inspect cargo would also be helpful in stopping the flow of fentanyl.
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