Spa City and FBI team up to fight fentanyl

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The City of Saratoga Springs and the FBI are teaming up in a joint task force to take on fentanyl. NEWS10 speaking with the Public Safety Commissioner on what’s being done to keep the Spa City safe. 

Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll says there have now been two fentanyl related deaths in Saratoga, this year. He tells NEWS10 the task force is needed to help save lives. “The initiative has been in the works for several months. We've had an uptick of fentanyl issues in our city, not dislike any other cities in America,” said Coll.

It’s called the Safe Streets task force. “The Safe Streets task force is represented by federal state and local investigators and gives us additional tools to do our job. We can then take cases and prosecute them either at the federal or state level. The task force settings for the local police departments are certainly a force multiplier,” said Coll.

Coll says overdoses are up as well, going from two in 2022 to eight in 2023. There were no deaths reported. However, this year, the Spa City has seen eight overdoses and two deaths associated with the killer drug. “We're hearing someone supplying fentanyl to our population, and we're conducting surveillance. We can do that with an entire surveillance team. Which sometimes will be, you know, five individuals in addition to our one investigator,” said Coll.

He says it’s not just fentanyl, but some other problems have contributed emphasizing the need for this partnership. “Additionally, we had a significant arrest earlier in the year in March at the parking garage, as well. There's a suspect there with fentanyl and a firearm,” stated Coll.

The county says getting the word out to the public is key in battling the fentanyl crisis. A spokesperson with the county said they “Have an ongoing multi-pronged initiative to address the opioid epidemic in Saratoga County through education, prevention, treatment, and response efforts.  These efforts are through multiple departments and include Narcan training and distribution events.”

The FBI Special Agent in charge tells NEWS10 the task force includes numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, in a statement he said, “We are thrilled to have SSPD join us in our shared goal of keeping our communities safe.”