Nassau police say Massapequa is on the map as having the most heroin overdoses in the county since the beginning of 2017.

"Since last Thursday, we saturated this area. We made 59 heroin arrests in the Massapequa area,” says Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

Ryder says five of those arrested were heroin dealers. He says the department is continuing with its five-prong approach to tackling the epidemic: education, awareness, enforcement, diversion and treatment.

Officers took to the streets of Massapequa Thursday afternoon to hand out flyers on substance abuse prevention.

Jeff Reynolds, of Family and Children's Association, says it is important to inform the public of the amount of overdoses and arrests, but he adds it's just as important to remind people that there is hope and that treatment can work.

"Today as we stand here, there are folks who will be leaving treatment. Dads will be getting their daughters back. Brothers will be getting their sisters back. It's happening all around us,” he says.