Criminal Division

Pursuant to K.S.A. 74-7333, a crime victim has the following rights in Kansas:

Victims should be treated with courtesy, compassion and with respect for their dignity and privacy and should suffer the minimum of necessary inconvenience from their involvement with the criminal justice system.

Victims should receive, through formal and informal procedures, prompt and fiar redress for the harm which they suffered.

Information regarding the availability of criminal restitution, recovery of damages in a civil cause of action, the crime victims’ compensation fund and other remedies and the mechanisms to obtain such remedies should be made available to victims.

Information should be made available to victims about their participation in criminal proceedings and the scheduling, progress and ultimate disposition of the proceedings.

The views and concerns of victims should be ascertained and the appropriate assistance provided throughout the criminal process.

When the personal interests of victims are affected, the views or concerns of the victim should, when appropriate and consistent with criminal law and procedure, be brought to the attention of the court.

Measures may be taken when necessary to provide for safety of victims and their families and to protect them from intimidation and retaliation.

Enhanced training should be made available to sensitize criminal justice personnel to the needs and concerns of victims and guidelines should be developed for this purpose.

Victims should be informed of the availability of health and social services and other relevant assistance that they might continue to receive the necessary medical, psychological, and social assistance through existing programs and services.

Victims should report crime and cooperate with law enforcement authorities.

The Saline County Attorney’s Office believes in taking a tough, aggressive, intelligent stance on the interdiction of drug cases and their prosecution.  In terms of investigations, the County Attorney’s Office works very closely with all law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, FBI and ATF.  Primary contact is generally with local law enforcement but centers on working the I-135/I-70 Drug Task Force.

The Saline County Attorney’s Office aids law enforcement in the careful execution of investigation through being eligible for consultation on investigations 24 hours a day, each day of the year including all holidays.

Drugs are one of the most pervasive and systemic problems in society.  Generally drug addiction, use and abuse are responsible for contribution to other crimes such as thefts, forgeries, robberies, burglaries and even homicides. 

While assisting in aggressive investigation and prosecution of drug crimes, the overall crime level should decrease.  Incarceration for serious drug crimes is generally appropriate.  However, the County Attorney’s Office believes in attempting to reform individuals through opportunities at drug and alcohol treatment to assist in the prevention of an offender reoffending.  This has also been the trend of state law, through the requirement of mandatory drug treatment programs and incarceration for failure to comply.

By reforming the addict, many other problems related to crime will decrease.  However, an individual’s failure to take responsibility for themselves is never received well by the prosecutor or the Courts.

Ridding drugs from this jurisdiction should not only be an effort by law enforcement agencies.  We rely on the citizens to help us identify problems as they arise.  If you note any of the following:

• Unusually high amounts of short term traffic in and out of a home.  Note:  Dealers of illegal narcotics don’t always live in depressed neighborhoods.  Dealers have been apprehended in hotels/motels and in middle and upper income housing.
• Strong chemical odors emitting from a home, garage or motel/hotel room;
• In rural areas, watch for vehicles stopped for unusual periods of time in areas where they typically are not seen.
• Manufacturers of methamphetamine will travel into remote rural areas at times to “cook” their meth.  They may often leave behind chemically hazardous waste products that are deadly or toxic if inhaled, explosive, flammable or caustic to the touch.

Contact CrimeStoppers at (785) 825-8477 (TIPS), the Salina Police Department or I-135/I-70 Drug Task Force at (785) 826-7210, the Saline County Sheriff’s Department at (785) 826-6500, or call 911.

The County Attorney’s Office is proud to stand on the front line of the war on drugs.  However, it is a community effort.  Help us help you.  Call law enforcement if you suspect a problem, and know when someone is apprehended, the County Attorney’s Office will pursue prosecution.