Today, Burlington Mayor Weinberger will announce his appointment for the next Police Chief, the mayor’s office said today.
The announcement will be made at a press conference at 2:30 pm today at Contois Auditorium.
Jon Murad has been serving as Acting Chief. In recent years, the Burlington Police Department has seen two police chiefs resign in the wake of social media scandals.
Murad told WPTZ news Tuesday that the number of active police officers is down to 60, 27 below its capacity of 87. More officers are expected to leave in the coming weeks, he said. Several people have applied to be Burlington police officers, but the vetting and training period is lengthy.
While staffing is down, serious crime is up. Burlington has seen more “Priority One Calls” in 2021 than in the last five years, Murad said.
In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, Burlington city councilors voted to reduce police funding. Also, the city’s diversity, inclusion and equity staff officials have insisted on playing a greater role in policing decisions.
This press conference will be livestreamed on Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81794921606.