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Follows statement by police chief that repeat criminal had assaulted first responders, police
By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First
Progressive Party Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak has put a muzzle on the Burlington Police Department when it comes to future press releases about criminal cases impacting the city.
Mulvaney-Stanak issued an executive order that says she wants all BPD press releases to be sent to her in advance for her review.
“All press releases to be issued by the Burlington Police Department shall be sent to the Mayor’s Office for approval prior to issuance of the release by the Chief of Police or designee,” Mulvaney-STanak wrote.
She did leave a little wiggle room in the case of what she called an emergency.
“In the event that the Burlington Police Department determines that a press release must be issued on an emergency basis to communicate critical information to the public in urgent situations, such as missing person alerts or evacuation warnings, the following protocol shall be observed:” she ordered.
Mulvaney-Stanak went on to say the draft press release sent by Burlington Police to her office will need to say “Emergency Press Release” on it and she wants it submitted to her only in the form of a Microsoft Word Document.
The Mayor also said she is requiring police to tell her when the press release needs to go out immediately, or to provide her a deadline.
“If the Police Department does not receive approval of the emergency press release from the Mayor’s Office prior to the stated deadline, the Police Department may issue the press release without approval from the Mayor’s Office,” Mulvaney-Stanak wrote.
The order by Mulvaney-Stanak comes in the wake of a Public Defender Josh O’Hara and Chittenden County State Attorney Sarah George asking Judge John Pacht this week to muzzle the police following the arrest of a career criminal with about 1,850 police contacts in recent years.
Chief Jon Murad, following the latest arrest for Michael Reynolds, 47, of Burlington, raised questions about a failing Vermont criminal justice system providing protection for the public and help for the defendant.
Murad said Vermont has a habitual offender statute for criminals involved in ongoing “violent, incorrigible, antisocial behavior.” It provides for up to life in prison after 3 felony convictions for prosecutors interested in public safety.
Sarah George has not made use of the statute. George has said she does not believe many people, including Reynolds, belong in prison. The extreme liberal prosecutor also is a proponent for closing the women’s prison in South Burlington.
O’Hara took exception in court to Murad’s comments and asked Pacht to issue a gag order to Burlington Police. George joined in the anti-First Amendment motion.
Pacht said he would take it under advisement.
Reynolds has nearly 40 cases where he has blown off court-imposed orders, but judges continue to release him back into the community to deal with him. He also has 10 failures to appear in court when ordered.
Meanwhile George spoke to Mulvaney-Stanak, who opted to respond with the sweeping gag order on Thursday.
Mulvaney-Stanak has had a rocky relationship with Murad. She did re-appoint Murad when she was sworn in, but most people saw it as for a maximum of one year.
Attempts to reach Mulvaney-Stanak were unsuccessful on Thursday. Her office said she was attending the Inauguration Speech of Republican Gov. Scott in Montpelier and would not call back after it was over.
O’Hara said he thinks Murad’s comments could threaten the right to a fair trial for Reynolds.
With all of its high-profile criminal cases over the past 200 years, Vermont has never had any known cases thrown out for pre-trial publicity, courts have noted.
George has been involved in some cases that generated considerable publicity, but the trial proceed without a gag order.
Judges have often rejected similar requests from defense lawyers by citing earlier court rulings that cite various court protections, including extensive jury questioning and changes of venue for trials.
Murad said the 1,850 entries for Reynolds is more encounters than anyone else in the Burlington Police files.
“More than 170 trespass notices have been filed against him by business proprietors, property owners, and social service providers,” the chief said.
“He has harmed huge numbers of people; he routinely endangers himself and others; and Burlington’s officers deal with him more than any other person,” according to Murad, who is stepping down this spring.
“He has exhausted outlets of charity, treatment, or relief, and burned bridges with entities that seek to help the disadvantaged,” Murad wrote.
Mulvaney-Stanak directed her order only at the Burlington Police. It does not say whether the Burlington Fire Department, which reports on major fires and incidents, would also be required to have releases edited by Mulvaney-Stanak.
It is unknown whether Burlington Water Resources, which is run by the Mayor’s wife, Megan Moir, would need to get permission from the Mayor for their periodic news releases. Water Resources often issues news releases to the public about ongoing city sewage spills into Lake Champlain. The untreated sewage spills have involved up to 3 million gallons at a time.
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Categories: Public Safety
I wonder how many in the Burlington police department are actively seeking employment elsewhere. You can’t blame them. No one has their backs.
Communism at it’s finest! A repeat offender, a city council that chooses to do nothing and Sarah George not wanting to do her job are the result of this. I think the police department should close and all officers go home. It is, after all, what the mayor wants.
Send in the sheriffs as they do not work for the mayor.
Quite a little dictator they elected there ! All hail Caeser ! I mean Her Honor the Mayor !
I hope that every police officer in Burlington finds employment elsewhere. What an absolute slap in the face to the Chief. Requiring that all press releases go through the Mayor’s office undermines free speech and endangers the public. Why should any officer put his/her life on the line for people who do not support their efforts? The stress and frustration must be at an all time high and morale at an all time low. No, I wouldn’t blame them at all for leaving. And the citizens of Burlington would finally reap the full benefits of who they elected. No one gets arrested, no one goes to jail…no one to call for help…kind of the way things are now… only much, much worse.
Wow. Crooks got rights. Cops don’t. Burlington is a no-go zone.
Had enough yet, Burly? Tired of watching a nice town descend into the sh*thole? Remembering fondly when you could walk safely at night? An earlier time when crime wasn’t the front page, every. single. day? A time when Burly wasn’t the butt of national jokes, and the poster child for every stupid leftist policy?
No? Good. I think you can sink even lower. Keep voting like you do. Thousands of criminal are depending on you.
Great when he has three defense attorneys;
1. Court appointed.
2.District Attorney Sarah.
3. Mayor Emma
At the end of this there has to be someone who can speak up and protect any remaining good people of BTV. Looking like the answer is a resounding no.
Defendant has a right to a fair trial. The case could easily before be dropped because of a public announcement like this from police dept. I know it is frustrating.
Wow, Burlington’s DEI Mayor with all the crime, drugs, and homelessness running rampant on the streets, and has turned the queen city into a cesspool now wants to control what the police department reports to the public, and you wonder why the Chief is leaving ………… inept power hungry fools in charge !!
Wake up people, it’s your city and you deserve the facts, not what the DEI Mayor feels you need to hear.
See Karen Bass of Los Angeles surrounded by all the DEI hires trying to word salad and climate change explain away a multi-billion dollar disaster of epic proportions. A homeless issue just grew tenfold. Arsonists running around stoking the fire. Looters filing into the rubble. Emma is no different at all. The same indifferent, cold, calculative, manipulative, Soros funded Stepford Wives installed across the nation. They are all the same, their policies are the same, their script is the same, their tactics are the same. FemBots from Hell. Prepare for more chaos and disasters to ensue.
On what Constitutional authority does a mayor issue a gag order? Just asking.
No constitutional authority at all in this case. Clearly CONSTITUTIONAL!!!!
UNCONSTITUTIONAL is the word I wanted, sorry for the mistake…
Here it is folks ❗ The DEI Mayor Burlington voted into office is now organizing coverup on crime. Burlington thought she was the best thing since Grandma’s hot apple pie, . . . . what do you think now ❓ By her new coverup policy she should bring Burlington back into a safe city to live status by the end of 2025. It will be fraudulent, but that is what most of Burlington wanted. I hope the Queen City enjoys all the new corruption in City Hall, you got what you asked for.
One more time. This is exactly the municipal government BTV residents voted for. Whom am I to comment on what’s best for them? I and my family have no plans to ever set foot in BTV again. Little about it is consistent with the value system that rewarded us with much success in life. Seen the figures on BTV Christmas season, retail sales?
This should be all over local news media outlets since the Mayor is now drying up potential newsworthy stories. Where is there outrage ? (not too mention the public has a right to know about arrests using their taxpayer dollars) – These tactics used by this Progressive Mayor in Burlington is straight out of the playbook of the elitists from the city of Panem in the Hunger Games.
Burlington is doomed. Many stores are leaving, the LEO are goig to leave. THey cant get LEOs to apply for the opening. I am sure the cheif is sooo glad he has already handed in his notice. He should just walk away NOW. And I wonder if the mayor is still getting free meals?
BPD should inundate her office with press releases and when the media wants info refer them to her office.
Glad I don’t live in Burlington.
Glad we moved out in August, 54 yrs in Burlington and I’ll never go back again. There’s nothing to go there for.
I wonder if Heir Mayor will share some of her meal train food with this poor misunderstood sot.
Share her plattergate booty
The city council should invoke a vote of no confidence, but they won’t because the majority are all fools like her, that think pandering to the criminals and mentally ill is the solution. Farewell to a once quite vibrant city.
It is Flu season right maybe a little blue flu would be appropriate.
Even the Burlesque festival will quit coming to Burlington because of a lack of attendance related to the feelings of insecurity .(Sevendaysvt) . How more burlesque can Stanak become ? Burlesque derives from the Italian “ burlesco “ derived from the Italian “burla” – a joke , ridicule , a mockery .
I wish all law enforcement in Burlington would just quit and leave them hanging. This liberal mayor is ridiculous! She gets free meals from taxpayers and is running Burlington like a communist. Just wait until the safe injections site opens, crime will surely go up!
Progressives hate truth.
Isn’t this what they do in Third World countries? So once again who’s the dictator?