A Public Safety Forum in Burlington Draws a Crowd

Nearly 200 people packed into Burlington City Hall on Thursday night to hear how city leaders are responding to public safety challenges — and to offer some ideas of their own.

The first in a series, the forum was meant to call attention to the crime and disorder that  have become commonplace in the state's largest downtown.

"This is bigger than the mayor. This is bigger than the city council," Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak told the crowd. "We all have to find a role in how we address this really complex work together."
Mulvaney-Stanak opened the meeting by summarizing how her office is tackling public drug use, homelessness and crime, such as by targeting "hot spots" for misbehavior and funding the Burlington Fire Department's community response team, which dispatches EMTs to suspected overdose calls.

Police Chief Jon Murad gave an update on efforts to hire more police officers, and city attorney Jessica Brown offered a primer on cash bail. In one of the night's livelier moments, Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/P-Burlington) pledged to introduce a bill to ban assault weapons.

"I plan to fight very, very hard for that," he said, to great applause.
Attendees then broke into smaller groups, one in each corner of the stuffy auditorium. The largest were those focused on youth violence and the court system. The crowds huddled close, struggling to hear over the din in the echoey chamber.

Burlington police have responded to several alarming incidents involving teens in recent weeks, including a shooting at the A_Dog Skatepark. Last month, the department released surveillance video of a large group of young people, many of them carrying guns, chasing two men.

Discussing youth violence Thursday night, people lamented how there are few places for teenagers to hang out, especially on nights and weekends. One attendee suggested creating free programs where kids can learn new hobbies.

"That's where, if it's a Friday or Saturday night, instead of going out, you're gonna do something more productive," he said.
The court system group held a wide-ranging discussion, with people airing frustrations about the backlog of cases and suggesting that people who commit crimes such as selling fentanyl face more serious penalties. Pastor Ken White of the College Street Congregational Church, which has dealt with illegal drug use on its property, suggested the city open a sanctioned campground with strict rules. He also spoke in favor of opening an overdose prevention center, which Burlington plans to do in the coming months.

The gun safety group generated several ideas, including hosting a gun buyback event and encouraging bars to use metal detectors and check bags for firearms. In August, a 22-year-old woman was charged with fatally shooting a man outside Red Square. Before the shooting, the man was captured on security video in the bar assaulting the woman and pulling her hair, according to an affidavit in the case.

Burlington voters approved a charter change a decade ago to ban guns from establishments that serve alcohol, but the measure languished in the legislature. Thursday night, Baruth suggested the city introduce an identical measure next Town Meeting Day, noting that lawmakers would likely face pushback if they tried to revive the original version. Mulvaney-Stanak said she supports putting the item on the ballot.

The city plans to host public safety forums every two months. The next one, on November 7, will delve into anti-violence and services for victims of violent crime. Another, planned for sometime in January 2025, will focus on substance use.