By Mike Donoghue

BURLINGTON — The extra police patrols by Vermont state troopers in the city of Burlington to try to reduce ongoing shootings and improve public safety will end Dec. 30, according to city and state officials.

The city asked the Vermont State Police leadership in October 2022 to begin providing “high visibility patrols” in the downtown area due to the short staffing. The patrols were designed near Church and Main Streets following a series of shootings and other high-profile crimes in Burlington.

The efforts by extreme left-leaning liberals on the City Council to defund and cut Burlington Police left the department demoralized and caused many officers to quit. Many went to more welcoming communities, including South Burlington, St. Albans and Swanton.

By October 2022 the department was left with about 62 officers for a police force that once had an authorized strength of 105. The City Council cut the maximum strength to 87 officers to try to provide 24-hour protection to the city and the Burlington International Airport, while also trying to fill slots on special drug and violent crime task forces.

State Police Capt. Matthew Daley, the northern Vermont troop commander, said Tuesday he and the troopers have heard many positive comments from business owners and people going downtown that they were happy to see the green and gold cruisers parked downtown and the troopers on foot patrol.

“It was a good experience,” Daley told Vermont News First.

Burlington is fighting the growing feeling of people that say they no longer feel safe downtown, especially at night. Public drug users, shoplifters, panhandlers, homeless people and other people have added to concerns, they say.

Burlington had initially planned to use troopers for 30 days when the city approached the VSP in October 2022. It has now stretched to 15 months. Recent graduates from the Vermont Police Academy are helping to fill Burlington slots, a spokesman said.

Burlington agreed to pay state police $78 an hour for each trooper working. The city used money from its vacant police posts to pay the state troopers.

Troopers from across the state with the rank up to lieutenant could apply to fill the overtime shifts that were normally available Wednesday to Saturday nights.

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Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad did not respond to messages seeking comment from Vermont News First.

He did offer a thank you to state police in an email to Daley this month.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Vermont State Police for its partnership on this detail,” Murad said.

He said “Burlington’s citizens and visitors have been relieved and gratified” by the VSP patrols.

“From routine presence on post to assisting with important calls like two gunfire incidents at the same Church Street address that took place within an hour of each other, troopers have augmented our public safety capacity during a time of pronounced need, and the BPD is in the VSP’s debt,” he said in the email.

Daley said Vermont State Police stands ready to assist Burlington with any future needs as situations arise.

Burlington was among several short-staffed Vermont Police departments that called upon state police to help cover shifts. Shelburne, Hardwick and Springfield were among those getting shift coverage for extended periods.