In Schenectady, the summer is off to a tragic start.

“Not everyone who has passed away over the past couple of weeks is a stranger to me,” said Lt. Ryan Macherone of the Schenectady Police Department.

Police say eight people ranging in age from their 20s to 60s died from drug-related overdoses in just a week earlier this month.

“Not everybody was from the city of Schenectady,” Macherone said. “Not everybody was from the area here.”

The Electric City’s special investigations police unit is still investigating the fatalities, but multiple drugs are believed to have been involved, including cocaine and heroin-based substances, fentanyl and xylazine, a sedative typically used to treat large animals.

“So it is hard to say if an individual got that substance or brought that with them here,” Macherone said.

The unwelcome trend has triggered a response in the city and beyond.

“We are seeing overdose rates completely skyrocketing,” said Project Safe Point Director Ed Fox.

The harm reduction program services 12 counties across upstate.

“The need for these services has never been more urgent,” Fox said.

Some of the services include a syringe exchange, HIV screening and the distribution of free fentanyl testing kits, which are not foolproof.

“There is like that chocolate chip cookie effect where not all of it has the concentration of fentanyl,” Fox explained.

Project Safe Point planned to distribute the kits at a community meeting in Schenectady Wednesday. Macherone hoped a productive conversation is had about an issue impacting communities across the state and nation.

“We’re angry, we’re sad by this and we know the community is too,” he said. “So I think this is a great opportunity to get together and talk about those things.”