5 Santa Barbara County deputies treated for opioid exposure

August 31, 2019

More than a dozen inmates and custody deputies required medical treatment for exposure to opioid at the Santa Barbara County Jail on Thursday, an increase from an earlier report of nine inmates overdosing on heroin. [Cal Coast Times]

At about 3 p.m., an inmate collapsed inside a dormitory unit housing 27 inmates. Jail staff administered Narcan, an antidote for opioids, and called for paramedics.

While Deputies and medical staff were attending to the first inmate, others in the housing unit began experiencing various levels of suspected opioid related symptoms.  In all, five custody deputies and 13 inmates were treated for opioid-use or exposure, Lt. Erik Raney said.

Of the five deputies, all suffering from opioid exposure, two were evaluated and treated at the hospital, and three were transported to a local hospital. All of the deputies and inmates involved in the incident are expected to make a full recovery.

Jail staff escorted the housing unit’s remaining inmates from the dormitory, which was searched and decontaminated.

Jail staffers discovered suspected heroin inside the housing unit. Investigators are working to determine how the narcotics were brought into the facility, and how the widespread exposure occurred.

“Contraband in custodial settings is a concern across the nation,” Raney said. “The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Custody Operations Division remains pro-active in preventing contraband from entering the facility, and eradicating contraband that finds its way in.”


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Warning: Free speech in the form of a digital comment via the Internet may be taking place here. This might irritate some people, which is a sign that it is indeed free speech.


“The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Custody Operations Division remains pro-active in preventing contraband from entering the facility, and eradicating contraband that finds its way in.”


Lt. Erik Raney, Santa Barbara County Jail.


Let’s take him at his word. While overworked and yet still motivated with wills of steel, the deputies overseeing the jail have been well trained. They are professional and proactive in keeping contraband from entering the facility. They’ve made it nearly impossible to get anything in….and they’re good and finding what little does.


In other words, these drugs didn’t come in via an inmate.


This means that the contraband got in via means that are not



    subject to the professionalism and diligent searching done by the deputies.


    Which means it was brought in by an employee, rogue deputy, or ???


    It could be as simple as someone bringing in a tray of cookies or brownies that accidentally had opiates in them. But if this was the case, it would have to be common for deputies to share goodies with the inmates. This is the most likely explanation.


    And who bakes opiate brownies? And why would they bring them to a jail?


“Dude, where’s my car “. Oh wait that’s SLO county.


From what I’ve read about Fentanyl, it’s 80-100 times stronger than either regular opioids like hydro or oxycodone, and it readily absorbs through your skin, which is how non-users OD. I don’t think the boys in C-Wing are sharing with the deputies.


The American College of Medical Toxicology would disagree with you.


Their empirical study that focused on Emergency Responders exposure to Opioids says it is nearly impossible to do what you claim.


You quote urban myth.


If it shows up in a test it will have been by traditional means-purposeful ingestion. They are not OD’ing through thin air.


You need to read more. I suggest that the American College of Medical Toxicology would be a good start.


While it is as strong as you say, it does not get absorbed through the skin.


Unless it is carried by a medical solvent like DMSO.


There are no known, verifiable, cases of OD’ing by skin or airborne exposure to Opioids. It is urban myth.


The cops symptoms are from…..stress. According to the empirical studies.


This one is gonna be a doozie!

Contraband makes it into the jail

Inmates OD on contraband


but wait…….somehow deputies are dosed too? This isn’t any ordinary balloon retrieval…..


Next time: LSD.


This is actually potentially very, very dangerous. I hope they can get additional training on opioids.


Hey Doc. Do you think we will get these cops REAL names? :-).


They always use, and give us their names, right?


I’m encouraged there’s people pushing back. It’s healthy.


I never want to silence free speech. Expressing outrage over outrageous events is allowed, even if cops don’t like it. They need to hear it.


In the same way, they can try to beat me in the realm of ideas…..they’ve totally kicked my ass with insults.


Why don’t you slow down and try to learn something. Oh, and take the “Doc” out of your name. Dumbass.