UTICA - Utica's Common Council rejects a bill that would allow for a curfew in the city. The proposal was put forth by West Utica Representative Jim Zecca. However, after an executive session, then a vote of 7 to 2, the proposed law was rejected. Zecca says problems on the street will not go away, and something still needs to be done.

One of the council members we talked with, who voted against this ordinance Wednesday night says that he and his colleagues understand there is a problem that needs to be addressed, however they say this is not the way to do it for two reasons. Number one a lack of police presence and number two, there is actually a legality problem that comes with it.

The proposed curfew law would have been restricted to West Utica and called for kids ages 15 and under to be off city streets between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am.

Councilor at large Frank Meola says before the council voted Wednesday night, they were advised by their attorneys that the restriction of the curfew law, to one part of the city, would be borderline unconstitutional.

Meola says the majority of the councilors took that information, and combined it with the fact the city does not have a full police department, and decided to vote "no." The compliment for UPD is temporarily down 17 officers for various reasons. Meola says he and other councilors would rather wait until the compliment is back to full strength before acting on a law that has some questions.

"We're hoping as soon as we rebound from the loss of patrolmen out there, that we will be able to get to those issues in West Utica and other parts in the City of Utica," says Meola.
    
Councilman Jim Zecca, who proposed this ordinance says if the council members are going to vote it down, he wants them to start acting now on other solutions because he says there are a lot of issue that need to be addressed in his district.