Salina City Commissioners this week adopted changes on managing drug overdoses. Laws regarding animal cruelty were discussed as well.

On Monday, City Prosecutor Brad Sutton presented to city commissioners ordinances that were published by the 2024 Uniform Public Offense Code. The code is modeled after the state criminal code and serves as the primary criminal ordinance enforcement handbook for the Salina Police Department.

Changes for managing drug overdoses gives police officers discretion and encourages them not to arrest people that call for assistance or need assistance from a drug overdose or the effects of ingesting controlled substances. “This is becoming more of an issue with the introduction of fentanyl and other substances into pills and controlled substances as a cheaper substitute for the real drug” said Sutton.

Animal services are passionate in highlighting the issues surrounding animal cruelty. They would like to cite and hold accountable animal owners who fail to provide water, food and accommodations for their animals that they may not rise to the level of cruelty.

According to Sutton, Animal Control Officers have no legal means to encourage compliance with food, water and shelter requirements without getting law enforcement involved.

Animal services asked for the reinstatement of ordinances that state it is unlawful if there is a failure to provide sufficient and wholesome food, potable water, shade protection from the weather, opportunity for exercise and veterinary care when needed. Other prohibitions that were prompted were, abandonment and leaving an animal unattended in a vehicle without adequate ventilation. Sutton proposed to stay consistent with the prior City Prosecutor’s amendment of making animal cruelty unlawful.

City commissioners voted to adopt the 2024 UPOC for Kansas Cities published by the League of KS Municipalities and to stay consistent with animal cruelty laws.