“This crisis or plague on the island, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down right now.”

Frank Recca is on a NYPD specialized unit on Staten Island that seeks to get dealers and suppliers off the streets.

Across NYC, someone dies of an overdose every seven hours. About half of all the overdose deaths on Staten Island involve Fentanyl, a drug about 50 times stronger than heroin but cheaper to produce.

Many of the officers in Recca's unit have seen the damage drugs have caused firsthand in both personal and professional situations.

To counter the crisis, the city is investing $15 million to create specialized teams across the boroughs. Recca and others track, target and arrest dealers in organized busts.

During our investigation, reporter Myles Miller followed a bust at the home of an alleged dealer, a case the unit had been pursuing for two years. Using surveillance and informants, officers successfully arrested the dealer who was found with several narcotics in his home.

"One more person off the streets," Recca said.