Top law enforcement officials on Staten Island say they're hoping a new effort to address the borough's opioid crisis will help save lives. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.
Signs like the one seen above will become more common on Staten Island. Five thousand will be placed on lawns and in businesses across the borough.
The goal is to direct anyone abusing heroin or other opiods to a website for help, sihope.org.
"It's a one-stop shop for those battling addiction, those with a loved one who is struggling, or those who simply want to get involved in helping end this horrible crisis," said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.
It's the latest effort by McMahon to tackle the borough's addiction epidemic.
His office now treats the location of every suspected overdose death as a crime scene. And in June, for the first time in the city, his office charged someone with manslaughter for allegedly selling the drugs that caused a fatal overdose.
In addition, a special narcotics court is fast-tracking drug cases and helping to get addicts into treatment programs.
"Are we doing enough yet? I don't think we're doing enough yet," said Staten Island Borough Commander Edward Delatorre of the NYPD. "I think this adds to what we're doing."
Marco DiDonna, who has been sober for three years, says the new website could have helped his parents deal with his addiction when he was abusing drugs:
"I overdosed seven times. Got brought back with narcan six times," DiDonna said. "I mean, my parents are fortunate I didn't pass away. But there's parents right now that they have no idea where to turn."
The Staten Island district attorney's Office is investigating 57 deaths as possible overdoses so far this year. The NYPD has saved another 112 people from overdosing using the antidote naloxone.
"Overall, the overdose numbers are higher, but the save numbers are higher as well," McMahon said.
Last year, Staten Island had the highest rate of overdose deaths in the city. McMahon says taking the issue to the streets, or lawns, will force people to talk about a subject that everyone living here is sadly familiar with.