By Michael Bielawski

The Burlington Police Department in the September Chief’s report highlighted the need for either a revamped or entirely new police station to replace the current one now in use for three decades. It is also located away from the town center near Battery Park.

The report states, “In the fall of 1994, Burlington voters approved a $2.5 million general obligation bond for a new police headquarters. In October 1995, thanks in large part to Tony Pomerleau’s generosity, the BPD moved into an existing building at One North Avenue. For thirty years we’ve operated it 24/7/365, and we’ve never had a renovation.”

By comparison, the Colchester station was built in 1975 and renovated in 2012, and the South Burlington station was built in 1989 and renovated in 2010.

They make clear they are not looking for half-measures. A section of the report concerning this matter is titled “Overhaul or Wrecking Ball”.

“The BPD’s headquarters at One North Avenue desperately needs a significant rehabilitation, with improvements, or a new facility,” it states. “Part of this stems from the changes we’ve made to the makeup of our personnel, including new emphasis on CSOs and the creation of CAIP. A lot stems from serious maintenance issues associated with a 30-year-old facility that runs 24/7.”

The City Council was reminded about these matters in a resolution on Sept. 9 stating that police must have “a modern facility that assures the health and wellbeing of employees and meets the expectations of the public, and provides dignity, security and privacy for perpetrators and victims within the facility.”

The resolution was tabled until the next meeting but Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak was generally supportive. The report states, “She has acknowledged that the need is significant.” 

The report acknowledges that finding a funding source may be tricky. It states, “Where the funding will or can come from is a question that no one can really answer yet.”

High crime rates continue to limit staff

For the year through Sept. 15, the crime report highlights that again police are dealing with more work and fewer resources. It states “Incidents in 2024 are basically even compared to 2023. But BPD is addressing more incidents than at any point in half a decade, with fewer patrol officers than in 2019—50% fewer, in fact. As a result, of the 21,559 incidents in 2024 so far, 2,802 have been “stacked”—i.e., 13%. And 1,166 began as online reports, or 5%.”

The department continues to be understaffed since their defunding via attrition by about a third back in 2020 and they continue to deal with record-high crime rates. This is with an officer count of 68, well down from 92 when the defunding occurred.

“But comparing total incidents to total officers underestimates the burden on patrol,” the report states. “The majority ( >75%) of incidents are answered by non-supervisory patrol officers.”

A notable crime was 2024’s first murder in the Queen City, it occurred on Church Street.

“A woman shot a man several times outside the Red Square nightclub on the Church Street Marketplace. Responding officers, including a CSO and an off-duty officer, were on the scene within seconds. Officers apprehended the shooter on Main Street,” the report states. The victim did not survive.

More women in law enforcement?

The report also highlights the “30 by 30” initiative which is to get more women on the force.

The report states, “Currently, in the US, women make up only 12% of sworn officers. Although that figure is 21% in the BPD, we agree with the initiative’s ultimate goal: achieving police recruit classes that are 30% female by 2030.”

Community engagement

There has also been more community engagement including having creemee-themed events.

The report states, “On Friday 9/6 we had a successful and well-attended ‘Creemee with a Cop,’ hosted by The Bagel Café on North Avenue, organized by PIO Sarah Timm and City Councilor Barlow in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. Throughout the summer we had also participated in ‘Creemee from a Cop,’ an Agency of Agriculture voucher program.”

The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle