Drug Enforcement Unit

The Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) is a multi-agency drug task force that was created in 1989. The primary responsibility of the DEU is to identify, investigate and ultimately apprehend individuals and/or organizations that are involved in the distribution of drugs in Ellis County and the City of Hays. The DEU is comprised of three officers from the Hays Police Department, three officers from the Ellis County Sheriff's Office, a Special Agent from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and an attorney from the Ellis County Attorney's Office.

Mission

The mission of the DEU is to investigate illegal drug activity primarily in Ellis County; to cooperate with other agencies on drug investigations; to further training and education of fellow officers, schools, and other civic organizations; and to coordinate efforts against drug activity in our community.

Training

Officers assigned the DEU are also full-time police officers and have their other regular duties and shifts to work as well. All officers receive specialized in-depth, hands-on training in drug enforcement issues by attending seminars and classes sponsored and instructed by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration as well as drug enforcement units in Kansas and other states.

Operations

Members of the DEU meet weekly to:

• Conduct regular business meetings as a group to vote on issues such as financial business and equipment purchases
• Discuss and plan ongoing investigations
• Share intelligence information

Most importantly, the DEU operates as a team.

Funding Sources

The DEU's special equipment, supplies, and any overtime wages are funded through:

• Department of Revenue drug tax assessments paid by convicted drug offenders
• Seizures and subsequent sales of vehicles
• Seizures of cash

The unit is proud to say that it uses drug money, not tax money, to fight the war on drugs.