Priya PatelTLDR:
- The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is focusing on cybersecurity threats, crimes against children, and fentanyl prevention, according to a KBI official.
- KBI Executive Officer Robert Stuart demonstrated the dangers of fentanyl by using a one dollar bill, highlighting that a fatal dose of fentanyl weighs the same as two milligrams.
- KBI officials, including Director Tony Mattivi, have repeatedly warned about the threat of fentanyl, which is cheap, easy to make, and transport.
- In 2021, there were nine child fentanyl-related deaths in Kansas, which was fewer than the number of child homicides and child deaths by suicide.
- KBI laboratory tests conducted in 2023 showed a significant increase in positive fentanyl tests compared to the previous year.
- Stuart emphasized the increasing size, frequency, and complexity of cybercrimes, stating that Kansans lost $58 million in cybercrimes in 2022.
- The KBI’s budget enhancement requests will reflect the need for increased resources to address these concerns.
A Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) official informed lawmakers that cybersecurity threats, crimes against children, and fentanyl prevention are top priorities for the state’s law enforcement agencies. KBI Executive Officer Robert Stuart used a visual demonstration with a one dollar bill to illustrate the dangers of fentanyl. He explained that two milligrams of fentanyl, equivalent to a fatal dose, could be obtained by combining two pieces of the bill. Stuart and other KBI officials have repeatedly emphasized the ease of production and transport of fentanyl, along with its affordability.
Child mortality data in Kansas showed that in 2021, there were nine child deaths related to fentanyl. However, the number of child homicides and child deaths by suicide exceeded this figure, with 32 child homicides and 29 suicides in the same year. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, is spreading in Kansas, although the exact extent is unknown. The KBI laboratory conducted 953 positive fentanyl tests in 2023, a significant increase from the 692 positive tests conducted the previous year.
In addition to fentanyl prevention, the KBI is dedicated to investigating crimes against children and addressing cybersecurity threats. Stuart highlighted the escalating size, frequency, complexity, and success of cybercrimes. Kansans reportedly lost $58 million to cybercrimes in 2022, and there were 2,399 cybercrime complaints sent by Kansans to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in the same year.
The KBI plans to release its budget enhancement requests in the coming weeks, which will reflect the need for additional resources to address these priority areas. Lawmakers will need to consider these requests to support the KBI’s efforts in combating cybersecurity threats, protecting children, and preventing fentanyl-related incidents.
