SAN ANTONIO – Kirby Police Department is putting drug money to good use by purchasing two new body cameras for its officers with the help of money seized from a bust a few years ago.
About $1,300 was collected in forfeitures.
Chief Kevin Bois says his city doesn’t see a lot of major drug seizures.
"Here in Kirby, we don’t run into that. It’s a couple of hundred here and a couple of hundred there, and that small amount isn’t worth the time it takes my guys to work on it and the time to present it to the district attorney’s office," Bois said.
Statewide, the Texas Attorney General’s Office has collected an average of $50 million in forfeitures annually in the last three years.
The money is split, with about 70 percent going to the agency that seized it and the rest going to state prosecutors.
Agencies can only use it for specific programs, like drug-fighting and vehicle equipment.
Kirby was one of the first agencies to implement body cameras for its officers.
It has about 16 units available for its 25 officers. The additional cameras will help them update the older cameras and bring in new ones for more officers to have them.
"The biggest impact we have seen is it has cut down the complaints on officers," Bois said. "On both sides of the camera, it promotes good behavior."