Multi-agency team created to respond to rise in K2 incidents
A multi-agency team has been created to develop a coordinated response to the recent increase in K2 incidents.
The Austin Police Department, Emergency Medical Services Department, Austin Public Health and Austin-Travis County Integral Care are partnering to provide enforcement, medical care, case tracking and substance abuse support.
Officials say in the past five years, EMS has responded to nearly 6,000 K2 related incidents with the majority in the downtown area.
APD has increased its enforcement around the possession and distribution of K2. Three warrant round ups have resulted in 70 arrests.
Officials say making arrests related to K2 can be challenging because K2 is not a single illegal substance. It consists of one of possibly 1,600 or more chemical variants so the only way to identify the chemical is through detailed lab analysis.