BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Burlington’s mayor says she can’t support a 70-page report on police staffing.
The City Council tasked Chief Jon Murad with putting the report together as part of a resolution on public safety back in September.
In it, the chief outlines a lot of what we already know: the force is understaffed, morale is low and officers continue to leave the department.
Murad is slated to leave in April and he says around two dozen other officers could also leave before June 2028.
He says the most important measure to retain and recruit officers would be for the city to formally apologize to the department about the reduction of officers in 2020 and restore the cap to 105.
The report is public but parts of it are redacted, including entire pages.
The statute cited for redaction highlights protections for contract bargaining.
Part of that redaction comes as Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak says she has concerns about the report. She says it includes a proposal for the next union contract and implies it is not well-researched, and omits critical data. She says while she’s committed to rebuilding the department, the city does not have unlimited resources.
City councilors are expected to discuss aspects of the report at Monday night’s meeting.