By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First

Outgoing Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad has been placed on paid administrative leave by Progressive Party Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak effective Wednesday, Vermont News First has learned.

Mulvaney-Stanak’s action will mean that instead of two weeks of overlap with incoming Interim Police Chief Shawn Burke, the Mayor is giving them two days to work side-by-side for a smooth transition, Murad told colleagues and friends.

Mulvaney-Stanak wants the move to allow a clear leadership transition for the Department, according to Murad.

The paid leave ordered by the Mayor extends until Monday April 7, which was expected to be the final day for the controversial chief.

At 6 PM, spokesman Joe Magee said no announcement was made by Mulvaney-Stanak. “Murad is going on leave starting tomorrow to ensure clarity of leadership at the BPD,” he said.

Burke began his latest stint at Burlington Police on Monday.

The former BPD deputy chief had been the chief in South Burlington for the past six years.

Burke, who was paid $142,000 a year at South Burlington, is getting $172,000 to start the two-year contract at BPD.

Among the battles between the Mayor and Murad was her recent attempt to muzzle the chief’s news releases about arrests in the city. It came after a public defender complained to State’s Attorney Sarah George, the Mayor’s friend, about ongoing inaction by prosecutors and courts on criminal cases.

The Mayor began to pre-screens Murad’s news releases before they were distributed. It is unknown if she plans to do the same for Chief Burke.

Since Burke’s departure from Burlington in 2018, the city has seen overwhelming problems continue to grow through increases due to homeless people, drug addicts, gangs, panhandling, loitering, shoplifting and road issues due to new routes for motorists and reduction in parking spaces.

During the Burlington City Council meeting on Monday, Mulvaney-Stanak provided a public welcome to Burke on his first day of work.

Mulvaney-Stanak also gave thanks to Murad and his family, but never told the public that she had informed the chief late last week that he was being put on the shelf.

The Queen City Police Foundation, which was scheduled to have its annual BPD awards ceremony this coming Monday at the Marriott, has opted to cancel the event for the time being. Murad would have been involved in the presentations to officers and community members that had done good work.

Also left in doubt is the final salute for Murad. When police chiefs leave the office for the final time, they get to “walk the gauntlet” as their officers — and law enforcement from other agencies — give a final salute. Murad’s final salute at BPD had been planned for next week, but now it looks like that also has been canceled.

Murad submitted his letter of resignation in November to Mulvaney-Stanak effective on or before April 7.

The letter, which was released by the Mayor’s office, was dated Nov. 4, but never publicly acknowledged by the city for a few days.

Murad wrote the mayor to say he would not seek re-appointment for a new term in 2025, but gave no reason.

The resignation came as no surprise — only the timing.

Murad had a few rocky years since he was named in 2020 as acting police chief for a defunded department. He never had enough support until June 2023 when then-Mayor Miro Weinberger tried again and the City Council voted 8-4 to give him the permanent post.

The posted date on his resignation letter was one day before Burlington residents voted to get more control over the discipline imposed in misconduct cases by city police officers.

Murad has had strained relations with the Mayor, and some members of the city council, the press, the business community and the general public.

Murad also was put on the hot seat after a trauma surgeon accused the chief of threatening to arrest him while treating a gunshot victim at the UVM Medical Center. It was another case of tactics of New York City Police, where Murad had worked, not flying well in Vermont.

Mulvaney-Stanak, facing about a $13 million deficit by the city when she took over April 1, 2024, eventually reappointed Murad and other city officials rather than conduct an expensive nationwide.

Mulvaney-Stanak shared on Sunday Nov. 10 a social media post from Outright Vermont that included a line about abolishing police. She appeared to struggle to offer an apology.

NBC-5 (WPTZ-TV) reported the Mayor offered an apology, noting she had quickly glanced at the post, but never read the text in the photo posted by the LGBTQ support group.

The Mayor’s attempted apology was limited to social media and not sent through the normal email distribution process to the media covering Burlington.

“I apologize for any confusion or concern that this post caused,” she wrote as part of a five-paragraph letter addressed to “Dear Neighbors” on Nov. 12.

The apology was buried in the last sentence in the fourth paragraph of a letter that she started by saying she wanted to provide “clarification” about the Instagram and Facebook that she posted.

WPTZ said Mulvaney-Stanak attempted to clarify that she does not support abolishing the police and claimed she has advocated for additional funding to support rebuilding the short-staffed Burlington Police. The shrinkage in the department came after a defund the police effort by the City Council.

Mulvaney-Stanak said she eventually took down her post.

Photo caption: Progressive Party Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak is seen in a file photo with outgoing Police Chief Jon Murad. (Photo by Wayne Savage)