Gov. Phil Scott acknowledged that Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak received little advance notice before his administration increased the Vermont State Police presence in Burlington, saying the state acted after hearing from residents who felt unsafe.

During a Thursday press conference in Montpelier, Scott was asked about the mayor’s comments that she appreciated the additional law enforcement support but wished the administration had communicated with her beforehand.

“We gave her a heads up that that’s what we’re going to do, but not much of one, admittedly,” Scott said.

The governor said the decision was driven by concerns his administration had heard from Burlington residents who were asking the state to help improve public safety.

“We heard from many, many Burlingtonians that were feeling unsafe, again, begging us to come in and do something about it,” Scott said. “We just wanted to, again, do our part to make sure that they have a good experience.”

Scott rejected a suggestion that the need for state assistance reflected poorly on Mulvaney-Stanak. He pointed instead to staffing shortages affecting both Burlington police and state government.

“I don’t think so,” Scott said when asked whether the situation reflected poorly on the mayor. “I know they have workforce challenges as well with their law enforcement. They have an interim chief who’s doing a great job, and they’re in the midst of trying to find a replacement for him.”

“They need more uniformed officers, as do we,” Scott added. “We’re all challenged by the workforce shortage.”

Scott said Burlington’s status as Vermont’s largest city and a destination for students and tourists also factored into the decision to provide additional law enforcement assistance. He noted that students will soon return to the University of Vermont, Saint Michael’s College and Champlain College.

The governor also cited tourism, including Canadian visitors, saying the state wants people returning home after visiting Vermont to have a positive impression of Burlington.

“So many students are coming back, and it’s not just UVM either. It’s St. Mike’s and Champlain and so forth,” Scott said. “And all the tourists coming in … we want to make sure that it was a good, positive experience for them.”

The exchange follows the administration’s decision to deploy additional Vermont State Police patrols in downtown Burlington, an action Mulvaney-Stanak has said she welcomes even as she has raised concerns about how the decision was communicated to City Hall.