GOSHEN – Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta officially announced on Friday the formation of the Orange County Threat Advisory Committee (OCTAC), a multi-agency team aimed at preventing violence in the community. While the sheriff’s department has the lead role in this endeavor, the newly formed committee includes representatives from numerous key agencies such as the Orange County Mental Health Department, Social Services, County Executive’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, New York State Police, and other agencies from around the Hudson Valley. Arteta said OCTAC represents a new chapter in how law enforcement serves the community.
“OCTAC is about bringing people together. Law enforcement, educators, health professionals, and community leaders are all united by one mission. Keeping Orange County safe,” Arteta said. “We all know threats to public safety can take many forms. And no single agency can address them alone. OCTAC ensures that when concerns arise, we have a team ready to listen, to act, and to connect to people to provide the help that they need. OCTAC is not just about responding to crises, it’s about prevention, connection, and outreach.”
Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler attended the announcement and said OCTAC is geared towards identifying, assessing and solving problems before they become any bigger.
“OCTAC is an off ramp away from the criminal justice system. In today’s world, that is commendable and a job we need this group to do and that Orange County needs,” Hoovler said. “Groups like this that the sheriff has brought to Orange County, 93 percent of the time they get involved, it has proven to be an avenue or off ramp that never reaches the criminal justice system. That’s what we need and what this group is going to do.”
As currently constructed, any participating agency, which includes schools, hospitals, and community organizations, can voluntarily refer a case to OCTAC. This ensures that expertise is available across the entire committee platform. All communication is confidential. OCTAC comes on the heels of an executive order from New York Governor Kathy Hochul following a mass shooting that left 10 people dead at a TOPS Market in Buffalo three years ago.
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