KINGSTON – The fight against the increased use of heroin in Ulster County is seeking federal support.
The county last year applied for the designation of a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, but it was rejected. On Wednesday, US Senator Charles Schumer came to Kingston to announce that he would push for the county’s designation in light of an improved application submitted.
In making his case, the senator said heroin seizures in Ulster tripled between 2007 and 2014 and drug-related arrests have increased this year over last year.
In the Hudson Valley, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Westchester and Orange are among the High Intensity Drug Trafficking area counties.
The federal designation would mean funding and other resources for Ulster as well as promote greater coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement. It would also fund intelligence-sharing initiatives, drug use prevention and drug treatment initiatives.
