By Kolby R. LaMarche

The Burlington Police Department (BPD) provided its monthly Chief’s Report to the Police Commission.

BPD is recruiting for positions in Emergency Communications, Community Service Officers, Community Support Liaisons, and Police Officers. The department operated a booth at the Champlain Valley Fair for public engagement and report officer applications are up 10% compared to the total received in 2024. The department also recently partnered with Building Burlington’s Future on a recruitment video.

Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George joined the committee to talk about the local backlog. George shared she met with Governor Phil Scott and gave recommendations, ultimately landing on having an additional prosecutor and a new court. 

“I don’t like the name, I am not going to use it,” George said, referring to the new court’s name “Community Accountability Court”.    

George says Zack Weight, the new special prosecutor, is hitting the ground running, “immediately started taking…folks with 5 or more dockets that are really the folks in the community that people are most upset about. They are creating a lot of harm,” she said. 

A Sergeant Promotion Process was held in September, leading to Cpl. Erick Kratochvil and Cpl. Deidra LaCouture being selected for promotion. They will each complete a three-week field orientation before assignment to patrol teams.

Each patrol team in the Uniform Services Bureau will now have a dedicated sergeant, where they will handle daily operations, decision-making, risk management, and general staff training.

Detectives resolved the August murder on Church Street. The case involved multiple assailants and juveniles. 

The Drug Unit, according to the report, is continuing activity in City Hall Park and nearby streets, attempting to resolve heightened levels of crime in the area following numerous council actions. Crack cocaine is currently a primary drug identified, the department said. 

One investigation involved a suspect selling in the park and residing at Decker Towers. BPD worked with the Burlington Housing Authority and federal authorities. 

A data presentation on downtown activity is scheduled for this month.

You can watch the full recording here.