By Kolby R. LaMarche

Following a string of violent incidents in City Hall Park, the Burlington City Council voted 9-2 last night to pass a resolution addressing crime in the park. The measure, proposed by Council President Ben Traverse, targets violence, drug trafficking, and disorder in the park. Supported by downtown business leaders, the resolution triggers immediate and long-term actions aimed to turn the park into a family-friendly, community-oriented space.

The resolution requires public safety personnel to maintain a consistent presence in City Hall Park during its open hours, enforce its midnight-to-6 a.m. closure, and issue “no trespass” orders to curb criminal behavior like drug dealing and disorderly conduct.

The crackdown builds on recent efforts, including 3,800 downtown police patrols from April to August 2025—a 160% increase over last year—the Situation Table, and a new program, “City Circle,” a restorative justice program for minor offenses like littering, where offenders discuss their actions to avoid future issues; non-participation results in misdemeanor charges.

Downtown businesses, grappling with the park’s—and the city’s—impact, rallied behind the resolution. Jonathan Farrell, Executive Director of COTS, wrote to the council, “As a community, we don’t hold anyone accountable for their actions, which in reality robs them of their dignity.”

Cindy Chittenden, Director of Sales at Hilton Garden Inn, reported guests witnessing open drug use and aggressive behavior, stating, “Many say they will not return to Burlington,” and suggested relocating unhoused individuals to Upper Battery Park for better access to services like COTS.

Owiso Makuku of Main Street Landing, representing over 40 waterfront businesses, noted declining sales, emptier parking lots, and stressful encounters, writing, “We need your leadership to help turn this around,” and urged extending the resolution’s actions to the downtown and waterfront to stop “open-air drug dealing and use.”

Not all, however, were supportive of the resolution.

Progressive Councilor Merik Broderick loudly announced his opposition to the resolution, criticizing Democrats for taking what he believes are the wrong steps, saying, “Where is the discussion on underfunded, understaffed, and backlogged judiciary…improvement to inadequate state of our mental healthcare system,” Broderick said.

Public forum also featured speakers opposed to the resolution, with many residents expressing concern over how the resolution treats the homeless, homelessness, and substance misuse. 

FaReid Munarsyah of the People’s Kitchen, one of two free-meal programs in City Hall Park, voiced his disappointment in the resolution and the process. Munarsyah shared he didn’t feel the two-minute speaking limit gave him enough time to fully express his experience and opinion on the move and invited councilors to join the “People’s Potluck,” held every Tuesday in City Hall Park. “[Come] talk to people who will be on the receiving end of your policies and not limited by this two-minute format,” he said.

Julie Masuga, a local activist recently involved in the “No ICE” airport protests, declared Democrats were acting “Trumpian” while blasting the resolution’s language around expectations in public. Masuga recalled the eviction of homeless years ago from a South-End encampment, Sears Lane, and drew a connection, saying, “[The Democrats] wait for one particularly bad thing to happen…and then the Dems pounce and use it as a reason to crack down and kick people out,” she said. “It’s just demonizing homeless people all over again, with fresh faces on the council.”

Starting immediately, residents can expect to see more police patrolling the park, ensuring it clears out from midnight to 6 a.m. and issuing “no trespass” orders to deter drug deals and violence.

By September 29, the mayor’s office and Burlington Police Department must report on staffing levels and propose solutions for gaps, potentially including more overtime or contracted security.

The resolution also requests the state convene a county-wide committee to address drug trafficking, a youth violence task force, and a public health strategy to improve access to substance use treatment.