Rensselaer County receives increased resources in fight against drug trafficking

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Rensselaer County is getting another resource and additional funding in the fight against opioids. The county received a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HITDA) designation in 2024.

The federal designation opens the door for more grants to help fund the county's narcotics unit in their efforts to get more drugs off the street. The new status also gives deputies access to more data through the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center that's located in Albany. The county will have their own dedicated analyst to help pinpoint crime trends and hot spots.

"Although nobody wants the designation of a high intensity drug trafficking area -- it's not a good name -- but it's the reality of where we are now, so having these tools and being able to work with the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and having our dedicated analyst, and receiving the federal funding that we think we're going to get, that's gonna be an additional resource," Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault said.

The sheriff also said drugs like fentanyl also bring the potential for other violent crimes into the community. Albany and Schenectady Counties already have the HITDA designation.