William Thornton | wthornton@al.com By William Thornton on July 09, 2014 at 8:01 AM, updated July 09, 2014 at 8:08 AM
GADSDEN, Alabama -- Etowah County law enforcement officials say a new device has helped them significantly cut into a backlog of drug cases in just three months.
But it's been a busy three months for Darron Walker, an agent with Etowah County's Drug Enforcement Unit. Walker has been using TruNarc, a portable spectroscopic tool that analyzes suspected narcotics and identifies them, usually within a few minutes.
"It's all I've done for the past few months," Walker said. "But it's very easy."
Etowah County obtained the equipment, which was partially paid for through an ADECA grant, at a cost of about $40,000, said Commander Rob Savage. The device has a database and can make a determination of substances through plastic bags or glass, which prevents evidence contamination and exposure. It also recognizes substances like spice, bath salts and other narcotics. The device usually needs about a quarter gram to render a determination.The importance of the equipment comes when one considers that, prior to using TruNarc, Etowah County had a three-year backlog in terms of waiting for results from the state Department of Forensics. Because of budget cuts and the closure of the Jacksonville forensics lab, Savage said, about 2,000 cases lagged while waiting for tests.
"It's like a hand-held breathalyzer," Walker said.
If the substance cannot be determined, Walker said, TruNarc's manufacturer Thermo Scientific offers support online to help make determinations. The company also offers training to allow users to understand how TruNarc works.
"The hardest part is the paperwork," said Woody Johnson, deputy commander.
"We realize with state budget cuts and the closure of a number of facilities why this was the case," Savage said. "We had to look at other alternatives because our system had literally come to a stop."
Stalled cases have effects beyond investigation, Savage said. If a drug offender has to wait for his case to come to trial, chances are more likely he may break the law again. With new sentencing guidelines, drug cases usually end in plea agreements, which lead to court supervision, and chances are less likely of reoffending.
Over the last three months, the department has been able to move about 250 cases a month, largely cutting the backlog in half. Savage said the unit hopes to have the backlog taken care of by the end of the year.
That's good news for Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp.
"We're definitely seeing a benefit because of TruNarc," Harp said. "We're able to take cases to the grand jury where before we didn't have a toxicology report. Now, a defendant doesn't have to wait for his day in court. It's been a godsend."
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