™ The Ray County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) recently hosted a training event, allowing deputies to become certified on the new TruNarc machine. RCSO received approval of the purchase of the new drug testing device in Auguest from the Ray County Commissioners, at an estimated cost of $35,000. The Thermo Scientific TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer is an advanced handheld Raman device designed to accurately identify a wide range of controlled substances, such as narcotics, synthetic drugs, cutting agents and precursor chemicals, in a single test, according to RCSO Undersheriff Steve Mendoza. This innovative technology allows for non-contact testing for most samples, making it convenient and safe to use in various scenarios. “The hope with this machine is to expedite the process and reduce risk of exposure,” explained RCSO Investigations Unit Lieutenant Joshua Hamner. “First, it relieves the burden of the lab. Second, it could expedite convictions as people will plead down because…