Suffolk County Police Want Overdose Victims To Identify Their Dealers

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The Suffolk County police commissioner has a new plan to catch and stop drug dealers, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.

When an overdose victim is revived, the first step is to get that person into treatment. But Police Commissioner Tim Sini says another important step is to get them to reveal their drug dealer's identity. 

"Essentially, they just hit rock bottom, right? They just died from a drug overdose and they were revived. So we're hoping to appeal to their morality," he told Hall.

But what if the victim is afraid of retaliation from the dealer?

"There is a level of confidentiality that would never be breached. There are certain protections we can afford people," Sini said. "The spirit and intent of this program is to arrest drug dealers who are causing deaths."

Last year, fentanyl-related deaths surpassed heroin deaths on Long Island, killing at least 220 people.