County Executive Robert P. Astorino announces charges against 20 people selling heroinTwenty people were arrested earlier Tuesday on charges of selling heroin in northern Westchester – the latest series of arrests to occur under a previously undisclosed initiative to combat the distribution and sale of heroin in the north county area.

Responding to a surge in heroin use and related overdose deaths in 2013, a multi-agency task force of officers was formed in early 2014 by the Department of Public Safety, seven northern Westchester police departments and the FBI. The goal of the Westchester County Northern Narcotics Initiative was to target street-level dealers and well as their suppliers.

"The deaths of young adults in northern Westchester from heroin overdoses in the last year or so were a tremendous tragedy for their families and their communities," County Executive Robert P. Astorino said. "These deaths were a stark reminder that the fight against the distribution and sale of heroin is literally a fight for the lives of our children."

Since its formation a year ago, the task force has made more than 125 arrests across northern Westchester of persons who were selling heroin on the street or from their homes. Most were charged with felony counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree (Intent to Sell) and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree.

In this morning's operation, county, local and federal officers took an additional 20 suspects into custody who will face drug-dealing charges in either state or federal courts. The suspects facing federal charges are accused of being suppliers of larger quantities of heroin and face up to life in prison if convicted.

Astorino and Commissioner George N. Longworth thanked the federal and local agencies for committing manpower and resources to the initiative. They also expressed gratitude for the prosecutorial support of the Westchester District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"The law enforcement community resolved to increase the already substantial resources that were being expended to combat the heroin trade," Longworth said. "This multi-agency task force has quietly taken scores of drug dealers off our streets along with some of those who supply them."

Longworth said that the task force comprised officers from the Bedford, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson, Peekskill, Yorktown, Mount Kisco and Ossining Police Departments as well as members of the Westchester County FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. The 125 arrests were the results of thousands of hours of investigation, including intelligence gathering, surveillance, undercover buys and wiretaps.

Longworth said that heroin was being sold all across northern Westchester.

"Some people may think that heroin is only an inner-city problem, but is not. Heroin is being sold on tree-lined streets. It is being used by – and sold by -- young people who live in comfortable homes and circumstances. This is everybody's problem and all of us are working together to solve it. Our work does not end today."

Astorino said the county was continuing to work with community coalitions, school officials and youth organizations to discourage young people from using heroin or other narcotics. He also said that the county has trained about 350 police officers since the summer in the use of Narcan as part of his Safer Communities initiative. The training will continue until all officers in the county have received it.

"Narcan is a life-saving drug that can revive overdose victims. It can buy precious time needed to get someone to the hospital," Astorino said. "By training first responders in how to administer it, we know that we can save lives that otherwise would have been lost."

Longworth noted that the county police have also conducted narcotics investigations beyond northern Westchester in the past year.