At 4:17 minutes into the six-minute video, Campbell tells Kilburn “shut the **** up and leave, go, they don’t want you here.” Kilburn calls Campbell a punk, gets out of the car, and initiates the violence by punching Campbell first.
A “fair and impartial policing” executive order issued by Gov. Phil Scott gives the Vermont Department of Public Safety sweeping new powers in the hiring, training and oversight of local and state police agencies.
Gov. Phil Scott said Friday at his regularly scheduled press conference that he will do whatever it takes to keep Burlington safe if the ongoing protests over police use-of-force turn violent.
Gov. Phil Scott has signed an executive order to accelerate a series of reforms and modernizations of public safety services in Vermont, and to initiate a comprehensive, ongoing discussion with state residents — especially historically marginalized communities — about how law enforcement can best serve communities’ needs.
Black people have been victimized by gun violence at a far greater rate than any other racial group amid a surge of shootings and murders in New York City, according to New York City Police Department data.
Eighty-one percent of black Americans said they would prefer if police spend the same amount of time or more time in their neighborhoods, according to a Gallup survey released Wednesday.
To be sure, these mayors are in favor of reforms to how policing is carried out, but the notion that black communities, especially those dealing with higher levels of crime, want fewer or zero police on the streets, is untrue. The opposite is the case.
The Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Justice for All, the ACLU of Vermont, and several other lobby groups published 10 police-control recommendations in a document entitled “Re-imagining Policing in Vermont.” These merit close scrutiny.
About 20 people gathered Tuesday in front of the Burlington Police Department to hold signs and share cheers with passing motorists to boost the morale of local officers besieged by anti-police trends across the country.
Police departments are facing dramatic cuts due to threats from social justice groups and COVID-19, and two police chiefs in Montpelier — one retired and one new on the job — say the trend will have a negative impact on communities.
Purging bad cops ought to ease the consciences of the responsible union members who cherish the respect the citizens owe them for good service. It would also preserve the reputation of law enforcement in the society that relies upon that profession for public order and safety.
In the wake of George Floyd’s death by the knee of a Minneapolis police officer one month ago, activists across the nation are urging police departments to defund or even disarm. Two police departments in Vermont have responded differently to such demands.