Utica, N.Y. - Following Governor Cuomo's Executive Order for every locality to adopt a plan for police reform the City of Utica Police Reform Advisory Committee is now one step closer to drafting this plan to be submitted to the state by April 1.

Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, this committee which includes Mayor Palmieri, Police Sergeant Michael Curley and 16 other public officials had discussed 75% of the categories of which the Governor gave localities to look into such as: increasing systemic bias training, how to deal with people in crisis situations, developing a crisis intervention team and police accountability.

“We also have reforms that have to do with police mental health and the wellness of police officers with other ways of enforcing the law, whether it’s environmental policing.

Thursday afternoon, they discussed the final 25% of the categories and will now draft a report based on their reform policies, and send it out for public input and engagement.

“The next component of this is now that we have a draft report, we got to hear from the public. Then we got to revisit it with the board and then ultimately with the Common Council to get something passed by the Governor's deadline which is April 1. All the reforms are aimed at two things: making us a safe place and a fair place for all of our residents,” said Phillips.

The committee will meet again next Thursday and plan to release the report to the public shortly after.

“If we want to solve these problems it’s not going to be a group that solves these problems, it’s not going to be an advisory committee that solves these problems, I’s not going to be mayor, and it’s not going to be a chief that solves these problems. It’s going to be a city,” said Phillips.

The Rome Community Advisory Board and Rome Police Department submitted the first draft of the department’s reform plan. The plan details innovations to existing policies and concerns by the reform committee and the public.

Reform plans will be submitted to Common Council and then finalized and sent to the state by April 1.