New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signs into law on June 12 a sweeping package of police accountability measures that received new backing following protests of George Floyd's killing. AP Photo Courtesy of the Office of New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has touted his plan to reform police departments, shied away from bringing a tandem review of local district attorney offices and said Sunday the focus should first be on police.

The state's initiative, spurred by continued protests over police brutality, aims to change policing in New York by requiring localities to create a plan with input from community members, the local public defender and community groups, among others.

Cuomo has suggested the move is a chance to redesign police departments. He's also threatened to withhold state funding if localities do not pass a plan by the beginning of April 2021. 

Demonstrators across the nation have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest police brutality and the killing of black Americans by law enforcement. 

In recent days, Cuomo praised his model as a pathway to deeper police reform. On Sunday, he leaned away from bringing on a tandem review of district attorney offices.

"Let's do one thing at a time before we bite off the whole loaf," he said. "Start with the police, that has been the issue. That's what the demonstrations were about. Let's address that."

Nationwide protests have sparked conversations about criminal justice reforms. Some recent demonstrations have been specifically directed at local prosecutors.

Overall, local district attorneys hold power over a myriad of levers in the criminal justice system, from how to handle petty crimes to prosecuting police officers for misconduct. 

"You want to get into DAs, you want to get into judges—that's a bigger issue. That's a statewide issue, meaning it's a function of state law," Cuomo said. 

Cuomo's police reform effort, outlined in an executive order, says local governments "must perform a comprehensive review of current police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices."

Meanwhile, Cuomo on Monday signed a measure that requires the state's court system to compile and publish data on low-level offenses, along with racial and other demographic information.

Under the measure, the court system would post the data online and update it on a monthly basis. 

"Because of this legislation, we'll finally have the data necessary to identify and root out the systematic and discriminatory policing practices that law enforcement uses to target Black and Brown New Yorkers," said state Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, a sponsor of the bill, in a statement.