UTICA, N.Y. -- It was a busy morning at City Hall as one lieutenant, two sergeants and two investigators were promoted.
"I thought it was very nice," said Michael D'Ambro, a newly promoted Utica police lieutenant. "There was a lot of people. A lot of well-qualified people that got promoted."
A new police officer was hired, and a civilian employee was permanently appointed to the position of Warrants Clerk. Some of the celebration seemed to be a few years in the making.
At the ceremony, leaders reflected on how the department has been moving forward.
"In 2012, my first days in office, we were close to bankruptcy," said Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri (D). "So there was a lot of financial problems we had to reduce, cut some of the public safety, police and fire."
"We saw people get laid off," Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said. "We saw another 23 people get demoted of no fault of their own, but the city needed to make up for a lot of that deficit."
But the department has since made up for those losses.
"We've rebounded," said Williams.
"Even with reduction of our staff, we are performing at a higher level now than I think we have ever performed before," said Palmieri. "That does not mean that we don't need more officers; that means that we are getting the most out of our officers and our supervisors at this point."
"I look forward to my new position, and I'm excited to begin that work being in charge of an entire platoon and keeping the city of Utica safe," said D'Ambro.