Still short on officers four years after first Defunding
By Michael Bielawski
Four years after getting defunded by their City Council, the Burlington Police Department continues to struggle with keeping an effective officer count available for public safety, as reported on Vermont’s premier news website dedicated to law enforcement, KeepVermontSafe.com.
Overall from when defunding began via attrition starting in 2020, the department went from 91 available officers to a low of just 51 by August of 2022.
The report states, “In June 2020, the Burlington City Council voted to reduce, by attrition, the BPD’s authorized headcount from 105 to 74. An officer exodus ensued. In Oct 2021, the council raised the cap from 74 to 87, but it was not until a new, strong police contract was ratified in July 2022 that headcount stabilized. We are now working to rebuild.”
Read the rest of this story at keepvermontsafe.com.
Contribute to Vermont Daily Chronicle via Stripe.com – quick, easy, confidential