Holding drug dealers responsible for overdose deaths. The purpose of a training session at the Ocean County Training Center in Waretown Tuesday.

Over 70 law enforcement officials from local, county and state levels got a lesson in building homicide cases against drug dealers the moment an overdose victim dies. Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said it's their hope to get the information to responding officers on the street because once an overdose victim expires, their location becomes a crime scene.

"So the first thing they need to do is not pack up and send the body to a coroner," said Coronato. "We want to treat it as a crime scene. We want to make sure that the Homicide Unit's out, We want to make sure that my drug unit goes out."

New Jersey's Strict Liability Law allows drug dealers who provided the deadly CDS to be charged with homicide. 15 drug dealers have been indicted in Ocean County under New Jersey's strict liability statute with 12 pleading guilty and three convictions.

"It's teaching the detective the different elements to look for, the different types of initiatives that need to be taken so that we can track the drug back to the ultimate dealer," said Coronato.

There have been 94 Narcan saves and 53 overdose deaths so far this year.

More From 92.7 WOBM