Dear Mayor Galime and Members of the Common Council,

We, your concerned and grieving constituents, are writing to you following the heartbreaking and wrongful death of 13-year-old Nyah Mway at the hands of Utica police officers Patrick Husnay, Bryce Patterson, and Andrew Citriniti. This devastating event has caused deep pain not only for Nyah's family but for the entire Utica community, crossing lines of race, culture, and background. It has exposed the need for urgent changes to how this city handles public safety and community relations.

Since Nyah's tragic killing on June 28, 2024, the actions taken by your administration have been woefully inadequate. The lack of transparency and accountability has only deepened the community’s distrust. One closed meeting, two social media posts, and zero direct engagement with the Mway family or different sectors of the community show a severe lack of leadership and compassion. We, the people of Utica, deserve better.

To move forward, build trust, and ensure that this never happens again, we demand the following actions:

Immediate Restorative Actions:

Publicly express condolences to Nyah's family and the community at large in writing
to acknowledge the loss and the pain felt across Utica.

Cover the funeral and burial costs for Nyah Mway and provide support for the mental health needs of his family.

Commit to transparency by offering a clear, weekly timeline of the investigation in multiple languages (English, Burmese, and Karen). Ensure updates are accessible both in written and verbal formats, and appoint an independent investigator.

Policy and Legislative Reforms:

Establish a Police Accountability Board with real power—modeled after Rochester’s Police Accountability Board—to investigate misconduct, create policies, and hold officers accountable with disciplinary measures. The Board should represent the diversity of Utica and have the authority to subpoena officers and change UPD policies where necessary.

Redirect funding from the Utica Police Department towards programs that reduce violence without police intervention, such as community-based violence interruption programs, specifically working alongside NYS SNUG Outreach (SNUG). This approach has proven effective in other cities and is sorely needed in ours.

Require UPD to collect and report data on all stops made by officers. This should include who is stopped, where, and why. The community deserves to know how our police operate, and this basic level of transparency should be common sense.

Reforming the Utica Police Department:

Restrict the use of firearm force during foot chases and patrols. No more children should lose their lives simply for running home. The national increase in gun violence demands that we reexamine how UPD officers respond, especially when youth are involved.

End the partnership between the Utica School District and UPD by removing school resource officers (SROs) from our schools. Our schools should be places where children feel safe, not where they are watched and criminalized by law enforcement.

Terminate Officer Patrick Husnay immediately, regardless of the investigation’s findings. His reckless and violent actions have shown that he is not fit to serve and is a danger to our community.

This letter is not just a plea—it is a call to action. Nyah Mway should still be with us today, and the fact that he isn’t demands change, not only in policy but in how this city’s leadership responds to tragedy.

The priority here is clear: make sure that the death of Nyah Mway leads to lasting change—change that will protect our children, strengthen our community, and restore trust in those who are sworn and paid to protect us. We expect a formal response and action on these matters, and stand ready to work together to build a stronger, safer, and more united Utica.

Sincerely,
Justice for Nyah Mway
justicefornyahmway@gmail.com
justicefornyah.com