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.
“Priority 1” crimes like arson, assault, overdoses and robbery rose 14.2% in Burlington in 2021, the first full year of the ‘Defund the Police” staff reductions measures, according to a May 20, 2022 report by city analyst Jonathan Larson.
Student researchers Andrew Langdon and Maggie Adams have compiled data on 101 Vermont towns and the money each spends on its library and police department. The results: Sixty-one towns spend more on police, while 40 put more money toward libraries, according to a press release from the center.
Governor Phil Scott today announced that Commissioner Michael Schirling will be leaving his role leading the Vermont Department of Public Safety (DPS) next month.
This past weekend Burlington experienced more gun-related incidents than the city would typically expect in a year. The incidents come as city councilors and the mayor continue to battle over how many police officers are needed on the force to protect local residents.
S.254, an act relating to recovering damages for Article II violations by law enforcement and a report on qualified immunity, passed in the State House of Representatives on April 15, 2022, by a vote of 95-40.
The Burlington Police Department reported a gun incident over the holiday weekend, this time in City Hall Park. No one was injured in the shooting.
According to the FBI’s crime data from 2011 to 2020 (the most recent data available), African Americans bear an increasingly large share of the harm from crime. African American offenders, meanwhile, are committing an increasingly large share of violent crimes.
Windham County Sheriff Mark Anderson said Wednesday that if police are stripped of current legal protections against civil rights lawsuits, he will stop providing law enforcement services for 14 towns in his county.
Gallup polling found that 53% of surveyed Americans worry a “great deal” about crime, the highest level since 2016. The poll found an additional 27% of Americans are worried a “fair amount” about crime, with women, Republicans, and city residents among the most concerned.
S.254, an act relating to recovering damages for Article II violations by law enforcement and a report on qualified immunity, passed in the State Senate on March 24, 2022, by a vote of 19-11.
“Even as crime rises, some politicians continue to demonize and belittle law enforcement rather than support and stand by those who put their lives on the line every day.”