By Kolby R. LaMarche

Last night, the Burlington City Council meeting turned contentious as councilors clashed over the Food Not Cops program, a group that provides free meals, and its impact on the Marketplace garage, again. The nearly 30-minute debate focused on crime data, public safety, and how the council uses information to make decisions.

The discussion began during public comment when Lee Morrigan, a former Progressive candidate for city council, spoke out stating she filed a public records request to check claims made by Democrat Councilor Becca Brown McKnight. 

McKnight had previously stated in July that crime in the Marketplace garage decreased after Food Not Cops moved to a new location, according to a conversation she held with the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office. Morrigan said her request showed the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department had no data whatsoever to back up McKnight’s claim. 

When the council moved to its general business, McKnight defended her earlier statements. Launching into a pre-written statement, she said she had spoken directly with a sheriff by phone multiple times. The sheriff told her, based on his own observations, that crime in the garage dropped the day Food Not Cops left. 

McKnight clarified that this information was based on the sheriff’s personal experience, not written reports, because the city does not collect specific data on the garage. She noted that despite the council’s frequent talk about using evidence to make decisions, no such data existed here. 

McKnight stood by her comments, saying, “I will in no way be issuing a retraction, because everything I said is factually accurate.” She also warned that criticizing public employees could create fear among them, which she said could harm open governance.

This sparked a heated back-and-forth. 

Progressive Councilor Melo Grant then spoke at length about the need for accurate data when addressing public safety. Grant, chair of the city’s public safety committee, said she also asked the sheriff’s department for the data McKnight mentioned but was told she could not have it because she might “weaponize” it. “What is that saying? We’re not collaborative!” Grant said, frustrated.

Democrat Councilor Evan Litwin responded by pointing out that Progressives often rely on personal opinions rather than hard numbers. He quoted past statements from Progressive councilors, including Councilor Carter Neubieser, who said, “Food Not Cops is not contributing to the safety issue…moving won’t solve our issues in the garage.” 

Litwin also recalled Progressive Councilor Marek Broderick saying that moving Food Not Cops would lead to “more hungry people on our streets.” Litwin asked, “Where was the data for that comment?” He argued that the council often makes decisions based on stories or experiences, not just numbers. He added that the city does have some data: city staff reported the Marketplace garage lost $60,000 in revenue, unlike other city garages.

Last month, without the city’s knowledge or consent, Food Not Cops moved operations from the Marketplace Garage into City Hall Park, where another meal program – the Peoples Kitchen – was serving dinner. Now, as covered by BDN, City Hall Park now hosts free lunch, provided by Food not Cops, and free dinner hours later, 3 days a week. 

At the end of July, Food Not Cops and the People’s Kitchen began “The People’s Potluck”. The potluck, aimed to also serve as a protest, are held every Tuesday evening – weather permitting – in City Hall Park. Groups supporting the potluck include BTV CopWatch, UVM Food for All, Vermont Workers Centers, and others. 

In a statement, the groups said they hope to stand “in solidarity with our unhoused neighbors and to celebrate community by sharing a meal with friends and strangers.”