Oneida County Executive Anthony J.

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announces the successful graduation of 23 law enforcement officers from the Spring 2026 Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training Program.

The ceremony held on May 1, 2026 featured the largest class to ever graduate from the program and served as the county’s official kickoff to Mental Health Awareness Month by strengthening the county’s ongoing commitment to building a safer, more compassionate crisis response system for all residents.

“Oneida County remains deeply committed to ensuring our first responders have the training, tools and support they need to safely and compassionately serve every member of our community,” Picente said. “Expanding Crisis Intervention Team training is a critical part of strengthening our mental health system and building a coordinated response that prioritizes care over crisis. I am proud of the partnership between our law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals and community organizations, and I am grateful for the dedication of the officers who continue to step forward for this training. Together, we are creating a safer, more responsive and more hopeful system for all Oneida County residents.”

Hosted in partnership with the Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration, the Utica Police Department and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office—recipients of the CIT Implementation Award, this training round brings together personnel from seven agencies across the region, including Utica, Rome, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Yorkville, New Hartford, Oneida County Probation and Mohawk Valley Community College Public Safety.With this cohort’s completion, Oneida County officially surpasses 100 CIT‑trained officers since 2022, demonstrating sustained momentum in strengthening community‑police partnerships and improving crisis response outcomes.

A robust CIT program plays a critical role in community safety by ensuring that individuals experiencing behavioral health or intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) crises are met with de‑escalation, understanding and access to appropriate care, rather than unnecessary justice involvement. This collaborative model reduces injuries, builds public trust, supports families, and promotes a crisis system grounded in safety, dignity, hope, recovery, and shared responsibility.

Training delivery was led primarily by Officers Marissa Vomer and Amanda Maciol of the Utica Police Department, with essential contributions from Torie Hairston, DBH,LCSW of the Department of Mental Health and Kellie Kiesel, MA the Neighborhood Center’s Crisis Counselor, who additionally supported the mental health components of the curriculum.Through the CIT Implementation Award, Oneida County will expand its training capacity this year, empowering the Sheriff’s Office and the Oneida County Department of Mental Health to serve as additional training providers. This week also officially marks five years of the Utica Police Department’s Crisis Response Team.

“We are truly grateful for the continued opportunity to co‑pilot and collaborate on initiatives that strengthen our crisis response system,” said Oneida County Commissioner of Mental Health Ashlee Thompson. “The partnerships between law enforcement, behavioral health and community providers are essential to creating meaningful change, and I am proud of the shared commitment that drives this work forward.”�Here are the Spring 2026 graduates:�

Law Enforcement AgencyChristian T. Brashear - Oneida County Sheriff's OfficeUriah Portner - Oneida County Sheriff's OfficeQuentin Donlon - Oneida County Sheriff's OfficeTaylor Briggs - Oneida County Sheriff's OfficeThomas Guca - Yorkville Police DepartmentLt. Steve Armstrong - Yorkville Police DepartmentChief Frank Allen - Yorkville Police DepartmentAshton Thompson - Rome Police DepartmentSamuel Austin - Rome Police DepartmentSanel Galijasevic - New Hartford Police DepartmentAmir Knighton - New Hartford Police DepartmentHser M. Paw - Oneida County ProbationEmrah Latic - New Hartford Police DepartmentPeter J Allen - New Hartford Police DepartmentGulum Demir - Oneida County ProbationKhiry Wilkinson - Utica Police DepartmentLexis Youngs - Utica Police DepartmentMark Diana - Utica Police DepartmentLiam Williams - Utica Police DepartmentMuhamed Merdanovic - Utica Police DepartmentJamarious Morgan - Utica Police DepartmentAdrian Viscomi - Utica Police DepartmentKarl Christiansen - MVCC Public Safety