Midland County Advances $117,000 in Public Safety Tech Purchases

Midland County commissioners on March 3 approved $117,000 in public safety technology purchases, including a portable narcotics analyzer, courthouse X-ray screening equipment and radio infrastructure for the county jail.

One of the purchases was a $41,000 TruNarc Digital Drug Analyzer for the Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) unit. County staff described the device as a portable tool for field narcotics testing that can help officers identify substances during investigations. Officials said the purchase would be funded through the TAG grant and that no county funds were expected to be used.

For the Justice of the Peace building, commissioners approved purchase of an X-ray system from Protective Technologies International in the amount of $55,000. County officials also noted that the purchase fell outside the county’s internal purchasing policy threshold while remaining within a policy exception.

Separately, the court approved purchase of an outdoor radio cabinet for the jail radio tower at a budgeted cost of around $21,000. Officials said the equipment would be placed next to the tower at the jail site.

The court also approved an amended agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to allow installation of Flock cameras on TxDOT rights of way for the Sheriff’s Office. Officials characterized the item as an agreement with TxDOT for use of rights of way for the county’s cameras.