Despite a notable decrease in drug overdoses in Broome County, narcotics possession and drug-related crime remain rampant in the Binghamton area.

In 2024, the Broome County Health Department reported a 40 percent decrease in suspected fatal overdoses and a 52 percent decrease in suspected nonfatal overdoses since 2022. Although Broome was among the top ten counties with the highest fatal overdose rates in 2022, it was the only county in this subset where overdose deaths fell from the previous year, according to the 2024 New York State Opioid Annual Data Report.

The county’s drug-related crime rate remains higher than the majority of New York state. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, there were 36.6 drug arrests per 10,000 residents in Broome County in 2020, compared to 17.0 drug arrests in the rest of the state excluding New York City.

“On the enforcement side, the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force is a partnership comprised of members of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, the Binghamton Police Department, the Johnson City Police Department and the Endicott Police Department all working together on narcotics and weapons investigations to get high-level dealers off the streets with great success over the past several years,” said Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar.

Recently, local law enforcement has made several large-scale drug busts and drug-related arrests. In a March 25 traffic stop, the task force seized around 115 grams of methamphetamine found stashed under a child’s car seat. Two suspects were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child.

One day prior, a Binghamton man was arrested in Endicott for possessing over five ounces of methamphetamine, most of which was hidden in a bag of Cheetos. The task force has made other drug arrests, all involving large quantities of drugs and, in some instances, firearms and drug packaging materials. From January 2024 to mid-November, the unit seized 91 illegal firearms, 165 grams of heroin, 796 grams of crack cocaine, more than 882 grams of fentanyl and 2,030 grams of methamphetamine off the streets, according to reporting from the Press and Sun-Bulletin.

“It’s good to see the decrease in the overdose rates in the area but the presence of drugs and drug related crime definitely makes me feel unsafe,” wrote Ella Sperry, a sophomore majoring in economics. “Binghamton has a long way to go in terms of eliminating drug-related crime!”

Local organizations have created recovery and outreach initiatives to combat the drug crisis. Last year, local advocacy groups Helio Health, the Family and Children’s Society and the Southern Tier AIDS Program were awarded grants through the Opioid Settlement Fund to fight overdoses and drug usage. Per the county, the fund was established “through the work of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and her historic lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that contributed to the overdose epidemic.”

The Sheriff’s Office has also used settlement funds to enhance substance use disorder treatment in the Broome County Jail, part of their “multi-faceted approach to combating substance use disorder that focuses not only on enforcement, but on treatment, recovery and responsible reentry.” Akshar said the office has formed a “Reentry Reform Advocacy Group” made up of local activists, healthcare professionals and former inmates to provide resources to incarcerated and newly released individuals.

“It takes the entire community working together to combat this issue, and the Broome County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with local law enforcement and local health professionals and addiction service providers alike to create real solutions,” Akshar said.