The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office’s Vulnerable Population Advisory Committee introduced itself at a Sept. 9 press conference.
The advisory committee was established several months ago to collaborate on building a positive relationship between the community and law enforcement.
Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol said in 2020, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order, requiring law enforcement across the state to reexamine how they function and identify areas for improvement.
“The one area that the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office found was the need for additional training when it comes to working with the vulnerable population,” Maciol explained. “In 2020, we specifically focused on autism and the lack of training law enforcement had in recognizing autism.”
As such, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office met with people and organizations from across the Mohawk Valley, gathering resources and building a foundation to better train officers.
“Over the last five years, we worked on how law enforcement was trained when dealing with the vulnerable population, not just autism, and built relationships,” Maciol said.
A look at the members
In addition to the members of the sheriff’s office, the following make up the Oneida County Sheriff’s Vulnerable Population Advisory Committee:
Symposium set
Their work together then transpired into presenting the first in series of symposiums designed for parents and caregivers of individuals in the intellectual and developmental disabilities community to give them the expert guidance, resources, and connections to help them navigate challenges and support their loved one’s success – no matter where they are in their journey.
This informational symposium is slated for Saturday, Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Parish on Broadway located at 730 Broadway in Utica, directly across from the Utica City Hall parking lot.
The event is free and open to anyone who is a parent, family member, or is a caregiver of anyone in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities community are invited and encouraged to attend.
Pre-registration is not required, but recommended. Walk-ins on the day of the event are also welcome. Register by filling out the form at this link.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Oneida County Sheriff’s Office introduces Vulnerable Population Committee
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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