By Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

NORWICH - Commerce Chenango will be hosting a free public safety forum on Thursday, April 17 from 8 am to 10 a.m at the Achieve Envisions facility on Griffin Street in Norwich.

The presentation will center on targeted violence prevention, and how to keep Chenango County safe.

Sponsored by Achieve and in partnership with the Chenango Threat Assessment Committee (ChenTAC) Team, this event will feature presentations from ChenTAC leadership and clients alike, including testimony from Daniel Auwater, Commissioner of the Chenango County Department of Social Services, Commerce Chenango President & CEO Sal Testani, retired New York State Trooper and ChenTAC team leader Wes Mills, and retired FBI Agent Joseph Testani.

Targeted violence is defined by New York State as: “…all types of terrorism (both foreign and domestic), hate crimes, mass killings, and other violent acts against a specific individual, group, or organization. From a definitional standpoint, targeted violence generally excludes spontaneous acts and violence associated with other criminal activity including interpersonal violence, street or gang-related crimes, violent crimes perpetrated by organized crime syndicates or similar organizations, and financially motivated crimes. However, some forms of interpersonal violence can be considered targeted violence, including stalking and domestic violence.”

Perpetrators of this brand of targeted violence often exhibit behaviors of a “pathway to violence” before they commit the act.

Since its inception in 2023, ChenTAC has prevented scores of potential acts of violence in our community. While keeping information confidential, Mills will share examples where ChenTAC successfully intervened.

Mills states, “Please join us on Thursday, April 17, for an important discussion on preventing targeted violence and the role of the Chenango County Threat Advisory Committee (ChenTAC). This event will provide valuable insights on what ChenTAC does, how to recognize potential threats, understanding what targeted violence is, and learning how to effectively report concerns. Your awareness and action can make a difference—together, we can create a safer community for everyone."

Commerce Chenango President & CEO Salvatore Testani claims, “This is an opportunity to understand how to help people in our community. The goal of ChenTAC is not to punish people. Wes and his team have been able to help almost thirty people who were on a pathway to hurt themselves or others.” Testani emphasized that this is not a forum to teach attendees when to call the police, rather how to be proactive and stop an event from occurring.

“This is your chance to come ask questions, be involved and to make Chenango County a better place to visit, work and live” Testani states. “If you are not sure what this program is and how it benefits the county, please come join us and find out.”

Register for this free community event at the events page at commercechenango.com.