From 2014 to 2015, drug seizures by the Idaho State Police swelled, ISP Director Col. Ralph Powell told legislative budget writers this morning. That was shortly after the addition of three drug dogs. “ISP seizures of marijuana increased 133 percent,” Powell said. “Methamphetamines, 319 percent. Heroin 775 percent. These seizures are due in large part to ISP’s renewed focus on interdicting drugs and drug traffickers, and a direct result of the dedication, training and ongoing commitment to the K9 teams,” he told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

ISP is requesting two more staffers, a sergeant and a trooper, for its K9 programs, to bring it from four drug detection K9 teams statewide to six. The $421,000 budget request for next year was recommended for funding by Gov. Butch Otter, and is part of a 7.9 percent increase in state funding for ISP that Otter’s supporting for next year.

The sergeant would manage the statewide K9 program and train other officers, while also serving on a K9 team. Three of the current teams were added in 2014. The budget request also includes K9 supplies and equipment, including two specially equipped vehicles, a kennel, a narcotics safe, two dogs, firearms and other law enforcement equipment.

Currently, ISP’s drug detection K9 teams are located in Coeur d’Alene, Meridian, Jerome and Idaho Falls; the additional request would add teams in Lewiston and Pocatello.

Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, asked Powell, “As you know, my district is up in the Coeur d’Alene area, and we have a lot of problems up there with the drugs coming across from Washington state now that they have legalized marijuana, and so many of our bordering states have now legalized that substance. I wonder if you can speak to the impact that that is having on your troops. And also … what can be done to identify the intoxicant at the scene when you pull a driver over? Is there anything being developed?”

Powell said, “On the first question, yes.” He said drugs coming from states that have legalized marijuana either for recreational or medicinal use have “been an influence, and I believe is accounted for in our statistics … where our percentages have gone up.”

“As far as ways to detect … at the roadside, the answer is yes, there are some scientific instruments being worked on. The ones I’m familiar with haven’t gone through enough research or field testing to reach general approval, plus they’re very, very expensive,” he said. “So we wait, in hopes that we’ll get something similar to what we have with the alcohol issue, where we have a hand breathalyzer.”

Overall, ISP is requesting, and the governor has recommended, funding for 11 new staffers, including three new uniformed officers, the two for the K9 program and an additional patrol lieutenant in District 3, which covers the southwestern portion of the state. Other positions include three fatal crash reconstruction specialists, to comply with new accreditation standards for accident reconstruction that ISP has adopted and free up three troopers now doing crash reconstruction to return to patrol; two information technology system technicians; one technical records specialist for the Alcohol Beverage Control division to cope with an increase in alcohol license applications and renewals; an office specialist to assist with background checks and fingerprinting; and a buyer for the purchasing team.

Although Otter’s budget recommendation shows a 7.9 percent increase in state general funds for ISP, it’s a small decrease of 0.3 percent in total funds, due to drops in dedicated and federal funding. JFAC is scheduled to wrap up its agency budget hearings this week, and begin setting budgets next week.

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