BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont police chief has asked Burlington officials to increase the cap on sworn officers before cuts to the city’s police department are implemented.
Burlington’s interim police chief Jon Murad asked for the cap on the department’s sworn officers to be increased from 74 to 84, WPTZ-TV reported. The cap begins in January.
Burlington passed the “Racial Justice Through Economic And Criminal Justice” resolution this summer and plans to reduce sworn officers by 30% in June.
Murad gave a presentation Monday before the city council, outlining how the cuts would affect public safety. Murad also wants to expand the department’s number of non-sworn officers, allowing unarmed officers to respond to calls and to conduct the assessments promised in the resolution.
Murad says that if the cuts are implemented officers will only be able to respond to serious calls between 3 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
“I’m hopeful that we have these assessments that are coming out of the racial justice resolution and it will give us some sense of alternatives to police service,” Murad said.
City councilors discussed plans for what they would like to see Monday, “what we are in right now is a little frustrating, but it’s not because we’re here, it’s because I’m listening to a lot of us contemplating going back on this resolution that was historic and meaningful,” councilor Jane Stromberg P-Ward 8 said.
City councilors did not take action Monday. A public safety and police commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.
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