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Komatireddy pledges action against supervised drug use
The NY AG candidate claimed such centers fuel drug use and open drug sales in their neighborhoods.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Thu, 07, May 2026
- 02:21 EDT
- 22
Saritha Komatireddy / Saritha Komatireddy via X
Republican New York attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy, in her latest campaign promise on May 6, announced plans to shut down New York’s supervised injection sites, spotlighting “treatment” as the alternative she would pursue.
Supervised injection sites are facilities where individuals can use pre-obtained illicit drugs under the supervision of trained medical staff to prevent overdoses and reduce health risks.
These sites also provide clean needles, connect users to addiction treatment, counseling and other health services, while aiming to reduce public drug use and needle sharing.
In a statement in which she described herself as the “crime-fighting New York state attorney general candidate,” Komatireddy decried such sites and said, “On Day One, I will shut down the so-called ‘safe injection sites.’ There is nothing safe about injecting yourself with heroin.”
Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff, continued, “The state shouldn’t be helping people get high, it should be helping people get treatment.”
ALSO READ: Komatireddy pushes accountability plan for New York shelters
She also noted that the sites stand in violation of the law and promised to enforce the law if elected.
Komatireddy’s firm stance on the issue comes at a time when legislation is pending in the Assembly and Senate — A4916 and S7617 — aimed at expanding such sites statewide. Currently, New York has two government-sanctioned supervised injection sites, one in East Harlem and another in Washington Heights.
Komatireddy claimed that residents in East Harlem have documented increased open-air drug dealing, public drug use and disorder in nearby subway stations since the East 126th Street facility opened. She added that the East Harlem site sits across the street from a preschool.
The Republican said, “Once again, innocent New Yorkers are paying the price for a misguided pro-crime policy. Families and children walking to school, commuters using nearby public transit, businesses in the area, have to deal with this lawlessness every day. It’s outrageous.”
She further accused the sites of not tracking or reporting how many of their users obtain treatment or recover from addiction. She also cited the example of the Tenderloin Center in California, which was shut down by then-Mayor London Breed after the site failed to provide sufficient results.
Pushing for reallocation of the funds being spent at such centers, she added, “There are New Yorkers begging for a bed today and being told to wait three weeks. There are mothers driving their sons and daughters across state lines to find detox. The answer is not a state-sanctioned drug den, it’s treatment for everyone who needs it.”
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