Counties across New York state have been prioritizing efforts to stop acts of violence before they happen. After 10 people were tragically killed in the Buffalo mass shooting on May 14, 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed all counties to develop a plan to detect and manage domestic terrorism and report back by the end of the year as part of her Executive Order 18.

Ontario County is starting their plan with the opening of more doors of communication.

What You Need To Know

  • After the Buffalo mass shooting that took 10 lives on May 14, 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed every county across the state to develop a plan to detect and manage domestic terrorism as part of Executive Order 18
  • Ontario County has created its Ontario County Threat Assessment Committee (OCTAC) to work with and train organizations around the area on what signs to look out for, how to diffuse and where to report suspicious activity
  • Lt. Keith Green says 150 people have already completed the threat assessment training, and Sheriff David Cirencione says it has already mitigated five incidents at the schools since the school year started
  • OCTAC hopes increasing awareness will bridge the communication gap so details about a potential threat will come to surface before it's too late 
  • The sheriff's office has also launched an app called, Ontario Sheriff NY, for people to be able to report suspicious activity more conveniently, in addition to traditional methods of calling 911

“The focus of these trainings was to provide attendees with a basic understanding of threat assessment, how it impacts their organization, and how to work collectively to minimize the risk of domestic terrorism," Ontario County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Keith Green said.

The former school resource officer is overseeing the office’s new Ontario County Threat Assessment Committee, also known as OCTAC. The group consists of nearly a dozen organizations around the area. OCTAC is training people on what to look out for, how to defuse and where to report any suspicious activity. The sheriff’s office hopes these identifiers will spread awareness and encourage any witnesses to communicate to find help.

“We found that family, friends, people in the school district, sometimes service providers almost always have a piece of this information," Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione explained. "But what's lacking is communication, so that nobody knows the whole plan. What we found, just like everywhere else, was that it was glaring how each one of us had a piece of information about this person's behavior and their grievance, but none of us had all the information. By collaborating and sharing this information, it allowed us to take action that we otherwise would not have been able to take because we had the totality of the story and we had successfully mitigated several incidents right here in this county.”

The committee consists of members in law enforcement, educators, social services, mental health specialists, public defenders, probation, attorney's office and even business leaders to discuss their findings. Once a month, everyone meets to discuss updates to investigations, and new leads to potential community threats.

“What we've seen so far when everybody's on the same page and collaborates, we're really able to make a difference and mitigate these issues,“ the sheriff said. “Each and every incident where we have investigated, in mitigated potential threats in the schools, the school resource officers were crucial. They were the first ones to get this information. They brought the information to Lt. Green and or their respective police departments in their committees, which has allowed, the committees to get together and share information and come up with the best possible solution going forward to protect the school community.”

Cirencione said the Ontario County Threat Assessment Committee has already solved five suspicious incidents at schools since classes started at the beginning of the month.

“A lot of these are, especially with the juveniles, where they're just saying things for attention," Cirencione said. "And there isn't really a true intent for them to engage in any violence. But that's our job to investigate that and make that determination. And our goal here today is to inform everybody that we have a dedicated team in this county to do that. Our goal is not only to prevent the violence, but it's shown that if we get the information early enough, we can actually divert the majority of these people out of the criminal justice system.“

By reporting a situation or individual, the sheriff says someone could end up with the resources they need to better handle their frustrations. Depending on the situation, that could mean a mental health arrest, a counselor’s updated awareness on a patient’s needs, or even parental intervention. All situations hope to result in an individual having increased access to resources, and a healthier outlook on public safety.

“The creation of this committee demonstrates a shared commitment to safeguarding the physical and emotional well-being of everyone in our schools by bringing together law enforcement, educators, mental health providers and other key stakeholders, we are building a collaborative network that will help us identify and address potential threats before they become larger issues,“ Superintendent of Manchester-Shortsville Central School District Chris Barnard explained. “This is more than just about preventing harm. It's about fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, feel supported, and they feel empowered to reach their full potential. When we create spaces in our schools and communities where students and the community feel safe, they can turn their energy and focus toward personal and academic growth."

Green said at least 150 people already have been trained in threat assessment across Ontario County. OCTAC has also recently launched an app called ONTARIO SHERIFF NY, for residents to have easier access to reporting suspicious activity in the area. However, Cirencione says to always follow the motto, "If you see something, say something,” and call 911 if something or someone seems like they could cause harm. Because you never if it could save a life.