UTICA - Mayor-elect David Roefaro's public safety transition team met for the first time this evening. Mayor-elect David Roefaro left the meeting after five minutes, leaving the gathering in the hands of his team.

According to 5th District Utica Common Councilor Bill Phillips, the selection of the new transition team for mayor-elect David Roefaro shows the promise Roefaro made to voters for an emphasis to public safety.

Branding public safety as the number one concern in the city, Roefaro's new team will help fight and study crime in the city of Utica, then report back to the mayor. As far as any funding requests and personnel decisions from the police department - the public safety committee, comprised of common council members, will still make those decisions.

Mayor-elect Roefaro says everyone on the committee has a background in public safety. Absent from the list are Utica Police Chief C. Allen Pylman, and current Public Safety Commissioner Phil Taurisano.

Roefaro says he sent a memo to Chief Pylman asking his thoughts on who should join the team and that Pylman's response is why Deputy Chief Richard Stemmer is on the team.

Also on the list are Assistant Oneida County District Attorney - Dawn Lupi, and current Common Councilor Bill Phillips.

Tonight's meeting comes exactly two weeks after election night. Speaking about the transition team, Roefaro promises his administration is going to be pro-active. Before he takes office in January, Roefaro says he wants to gather as much information as possible about crime and other public safety issues.

There are four newcomers to the group. They are: community leader Patrick Johnson of the YWCA Diversity Program; Common Council Member Jim Zecca; City Codes employee Phil Montana; and a woman representing the Latino community who did not make it to tonight's meeting.

City Council member Bill Phillips is Chairman of the Committee.