On March 15, Commerce Chenango and the Norwich School District hosted an informational session with local educators on how to spot and prevent violence by former FBI agent Joseph R. Testani. (Submitted photo)

By Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

NORWICH – On March 15, Commerce Chenango and the Norwich School District hosted an informational session with the Chenango Threat Assessment Management Team.

Norwich Central School District Safety Supervisor Wes Mills said the program was a partnership between community and law enforcement with a goal of making the community safer and heightening awareness. Mills shared information on how to make local schools safer.

ChenTAC is led by Mills and supported by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office. It is a cross-functional group of individuals focused on making Chenango County a safer place to live, work and go to school.

Friday’s event was open to representatives from every school in Chenango County, and over 50 people from across the county attended.

A retired FBI agent with over thirty years of experience, Joseph R. Testani, shared his advice with educators on how to identify and prevent violence before an incident occurs. Friday’s event was intended to raise awareness of the types of behavior that lead to targeted violence, the phenomenon that ChenTAC aims to prevent.

Commerce Chenango will be conducting additional training that will be open to the community on April 30.

Do you see something? Say something. If you believe you are witnessing concerning behavior, call the ChenTAC line at (607)334-2000 or go to www.chenangosheriff.us and click “Crime Tip.”

This press release is presented by NBT Bank, NBT Insurance Company, Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, sfcu, Kerry Bio Science, and Achieve.

Organized in 1959, Commerce Chenango is a not-for-profit community-based organization dedicated to enhancing the economic growth of Chenango County and the surrounding area.

Visit www.commercechenango.com for more information on Commerce Chenango services and programs.