The overworked and understaffed Burlington Police Department luckily didn’t see any new shootings this weekend, but police did have to track down stolen vehicles Thursday evening.
Local candidates have received a slew of big endorsements in recent weeks, including ones from former Vermont Govs. Jim Douglas and Howard Dean, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
On the Statehouse steps Friday, conservative-leaning candidates running for office in Vermont called for school safety instead of gun control in the wake of recent mass shootings.
Appearing on “The Morning Drive” radio show with Kurt Wright and Anthony Neri on Wednesday, former United States Attorney Christina Nolan, a candidate for U.S. Senate, blasted her opponent Peter Welch for being soft on crime.
Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad has warned of an uptick in the most serious types of crimes that police deal with, yet the force is struggling to keep up with the activity, with just 23 officers available to patrol the city.
The Vermont State Police have been seeing increased activity in drug trafficking, shootings and highway accidents.
With approval from Gov. Phil Scott last Friday, the state of Vermont has a new bureaucratic responsibility to tally racial justice statistics from within all government operations.
This week saw some movement in various races and public board seats, including a new GOP candidate for state treasurer, a Democrat state senator who has dropped out of the race for Vermont’s U.S. House seat, and a new board member on the Rutland City School Board.
After a mass shooting Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 children and two teachers, Gov. Phil Scott is calling for new federal gun control measures, and Vermont’s education secretary is reminding communities about important resources that may prevent future tragedies.
Police in Burlington, largely understaffed due to funding cuts from City Council, investigated another gun incident early Monday morning. Multiple parties were firing at each other, according to BPD.
On Thursday Vermont’s governor used his veto pen to strike down drug decriminalization through a proposed Drug Use Standards Advisory Board, but he allowed ranked choice voting in Burlington City Council elections.
Four candidates for lieutenant governor on Wednesday participated in a forum focused on Vermont’s climate policy, and while all voiced support for green energy, some had reservations about the role of Big Wind.