NORWICH – Wednesday night the Norwich Common Council accepted a suggestion from the police department and adopted a proposal to spend funds on hiring a California based company to help update policing policies.

At Wednesday night’s City of Norwich Joint Committee meeting, Police Chief Rodney Marsh explained a proposal that the city subscribe to Lexipol, a private company based in California that provides policy manuals, training bulletins, and consulting services to law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other public safety departments.

According to the chief, Lexipol is a national company that cis currently working with about 100 other agencies across New York. The service will cost about $17,000 to start. The money would come of reserves the police department was able to save due to being short staffed. The company provides monthly updates to the policies, so as law change, the policies will too. The policies are easily accessible to police officers through smart phones, the computer in their patrol cars, and tablets.

However one member of the council voted agains the measure, saying there was a better way to time the changes and questioned the record of the company the city was hiring.