What You Need to Know About the Peekskill-News 12 Heroin Controversy

News12 Westchester ran a 3-part Special Report called "Hooked on Heroin" detailing the rapidly rising use of and death from heroin among middle-class teens and young adults in the Hudson Valley.  

The first piece in the series featured powerful interviews with families in Port Jervis in Orange County. 

Part two featured an addict from New Rochelle talking about his struggles.

Part three was a drive-along with a Peekskill police officer.

The Peekskill segment sparked a lot of comment. 

"Well damn News 12 saying Peekskill is pretty much all on heroin," said em on Twitter.

"Peekskill new heroin capital check News 12," tweeted mrmikeydee.

However, not every response was negative. "News12WC incredible piece-fight against the heroin epidemic in the Hudson Valley. Officer Basso of the Peekskill Police Dept. incredible," tweeted marklake55.

City officials said inaccuracies in the news story triggered outrage in the community.

"The news 12 report was troubling on many levels," Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina told Patch.

Catalina said he will dicuss the report and his concerns about the police department's participation in a statement at the City Council meeting tonight,  7:00pm in the Paul Schwerman Conference Room. 

"I will detail the inaccuracies that has triggered community outrage and my personal disgust in both the reporting end of the story as well as the person(s) who authorized it and participated in it on the city side of things," he said.

In addition, on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. March 18, Catalina and Congresswoman Lowey will hold a press conference about grant funds for the South and Brown Street beautification project.  

"The Mayor will be making a statement and inviting the press to walk our wonderful City to see that the depiction in the report is not true," said City Manager Anthony J. Ruggiero.