FBI Pittsburgh and its partners at the Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education (HOPE) initiative were recognized at Sunday's Pirates game. As part of the event, youth also had the opportunity to get an FBI digital child ID kit done during the game.

Started in 2015, the HOPE initiative aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and communities through outreach and awareness projects in the fight against the opioid epidemic.

The three-pronged program engages younger students, middle and high school students, and parents, coaches, medical professionals and clergy in the community.

The FBI Pittsburgh Division partners with key community stakeholders, including educators, law enforcement, and treatment and rehabilitation facilities throughout Western Pennsylvania in more than 40 school districts.

“We all know the dangerous problems these drugs are causing from overdoses, to addictions, to the violence we see in local neighborhoods,” said Robert Jones, special agent in charge with the FBI in Pittsburgh. “But treatment, arrests and prison time won't get us out of this problem. The last piece of this puzzle is about outreach.”