BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Former Vermont State Police Major Ingrid Jonas has been hired to fill the position of Community Safety Advisor for Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. She will help the mayor’s administration address growing public safety issues by providing input on the city’s current approach and offer recommendations for improvement.
Ingrid Jonas retired from state police in 2021 after working there for more than 20 years. She the first woman to attain the ranks of captain and major at the department.
The mayor’s office says Jonas most recently worked with the Burlington Community Justice Center to design restorative justice training for police and prosecutors.
In a statement, Jonas said in part, ” All people deserve to be and feel safe in their community, and I will approach this work thoughtfully and with care.”
Public safety and crime have been major topics of discussion for months in the queen city. Despite the problem, some say they don’t mind.
“I feel completely secure and I love the city and I’m going to keep coming back,” said John Flynn from Tolland, Connecticut.
Tourists who visit frequently say they’ve noticed more homelessness over the past several years, not unlike other cities they’ve been to.
“Nothing would really deter us from coming because I think all the cities do what they can to a help the population in all its forms, and we all do what we can,” said Kathy Obey from Gales Ferry, Connecticut.
“Obviously the homeless issue is a national problem, and I know that sometimes, with with more commentating cities you get more pressure on that…. So I think you have to have a level of awareness, but I don’t think there’s a fear,” said Flynn.
One UVM student we spoke with says they feel safe coming downtown, but have experienced issues like break-ins.
“I live pretty close to downtown. There’s been a lot of break ins, especially in cars. My girlfriend’s car got broken into right in my private parking lot, and we can’t really do much about that because there’s been so many of them,” said UVM student Rachel McNulty.
The mayor is expected to formally update the public on this new Community Safety Advisor at tonight’s city council meeting.