Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and District Attorney Anthony Scarpino are teaming up and sharing resources in the hope of cutting into the rising death toll from opioid and heroin abuse.
Together, they are pooling the resources of their detectives, analysts and prosecutors to try and lock up more heroin dealers and slap them with stiffer charges, including murder.
"Our message to the dirt-bags who push these drugs to our kids in our neighborhoods, is that we are coming for you with a vengeance," said Astorino.
Scarpino said that there is a more potent, addictive and deadly drug on the market now and that those who are supplying it "know they have killer products."
Locally, drug overdoses have skyrocketed 300 percent in the past five years.
The district attorney says their partnership will also extend to local police departments countywide.