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A state gave sheriffs 20% of its opioid settlement cash. We followed the money
Confirmed
Note: In some cases, the amount of money spent exceeds the amount allocated because sheriffs may have reported spending that included their 2026 allocations or because sheriffs combined their opioid settlement dollars with the share received by parish governments or other funding sources.
They’re also not required to proactively report to the public or another authority how they spend billions in opioid settlement cash. “The impetus of this opioid settlement money is to spend on innovative ways to not let this happen again,” she said, referring to the overdose crisis that has claimed more than 1 million lives since 2000.
But taxpayer money may not cover everything sheriffs need, said Kevin Cobb , executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association. Opioid cash, which is finite and has a specific purpose, should not be used for that, she and the other reviewers said.
But since sheriffs are not required to proactively report how they spend the money, it's hard to track. “What’s happening here is they have a lot of money, and they want to distribute it to all the wrong places,” said Danny Bolner Jr., a Jefferson Parish resident who has been in recovery from addiction for more than two decades and lost his 28-year-old son to a fentanyl overdose in 2016.
She said sheriffs should be asking, “How could we use this to reinvest in the community, not just build up our office? Sheriffs already receive taxpayer dollars and federal grants to buy law enforcement tools, Christensen said.
“This money is what we have to save lives,” he said.
What's confirmed
- They’re also not required to proactively report to the public or another authority how they spend billions in opioid settlement cash.
- “What’s happening here is they have a lot of money, and they want to distribute it to all the wrong places,” said Danny Bolner Jr., a Jefferson Parish resident who has been in recovery from addiction for more than…
- In some cases, the amount of money spent exceeds the amount allocated because sheriffs may have reported spending that included their 2026 allocations or because sheriffs combined their opioid settlement dollars with the
- But taxpayer money may not cover everything sheriffs need, said Kevin Cobb , executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association.
- But since sheriffs are not required to proactively report how they spend the money, it's hard to track.
- She said sheriffs should be asking, “How could we use this to reinvest in the community, not just build up our office?
What's still developing
- “This money is what we have to save lives,” he said.
- “The impetus of this opioid settlement money is to spend on innovative ways to not let this happen again,” she said, referring to the overdose crisis that has claimed more than 1 million lives since 2000.
- She said sheriffs should be asking, “How could we use this to reinvest in the community, not just build up our office?
- Sheriffs already receive taxpayer dollars and federal grants to buy law enforcement tools, Christensen said.
- Opioid cash, which is finite and has a specific purpose, should not be used for that, she and the other reviewers said.
- But taxpayer money may not cover everything sheriffs need, said Kevin Cobb , executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association.
- But since sheriffs are not required to proactively report how they spend the money, it's hard to track.
- Note: In some cases, the amount of money spent exceeds the amount allocated because sheriffs may have reported spending that included their 2026 allocations or because sheriffs combined their opioid settlement…