By Kolby LaMarche

A solar-powered surveillance trailer installed in City Hall Park to help deter illegal activity was vandalized over the weekend, just days after it arrived, according to Burlington police. 

The trailer, part of a broader set of short-term measures aimed at improving conditions in the downtown park, had its solar panels painted over with white paint and a red heart.

The unit, operated by Utah-based LiveView Technologies, arrived Thursday. It runs entirely on solar power and is equipped with cameras that police can zoom and toggle remotely if they observe suspicious behavior. The trailer can also play music or recorded messages and features flashing lights. 

Officials have said the system does not use facial recognition or artificial intelligence-based identification, distinguishing it from other camera technologies that have drawn local scorn, like Flock cameras.

The vandalism comes as city officials have rolled out a series of temporary interventions in and around the park.

In recent weeks, workers have installed temporary fencing in two high-use areas: a ledge next to the Whiskey Room on College Street and a spot behind the park’s kiosk. Officials said the soil in those locations had become heavily compacted from concentrated foot traffic, and the fencing is intended to limit further ecological damage while longer-term solutions are developed.

Additional temporary barriers have been placed along College Street next to the park. These are meant to interrupt vehicle “roll-ins” and alter access patterns that city leaders say have contributed to challenges in the area. 

Two ADA-compliant portable toilets were also added while the park’s permanent outdoor public restroom undergoes maintenance. Parking spots along College Street have been blocked off in an effort to reduce what officials describe as pickup-and-drop-off activity linked to drug sales.

These steps form part of a “hot spots” working group effort reconvened under Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. The group, which includes staff from multiple city departments, has focused first on City Hall Park. 

Officials have described the fencing, barriers, portable toilets and cameras as short-term measures while the city develops more lasting approaches. Burlington City Arts has also been involved in plans to play ambient music in the park as another tool to reshape the space’s atmosphere.

City Hall Park has long been a focal point of tension in Burlington. A major renovation completed in 2020, costing roughly $5.75 million, sought to transform the space. 

The project added more seating, wider and more accessible pathways, a redesigned multi-functional fountain and splash feature, healthier trees, stormwater gardens, native plantings and improved lighting. 

City leaders at the time presented the redesign as a way to invite broader public use and create a more welcoming downtown gathering place after years of underuse and design shortcomings.

In the years since, however, the park has continued to face persistent problems with open drug use, dealing, disorderly behavior and people living in the space. 

Emergency responders have regularly handled overdoses there. Businesses nearby have reported that customers and employees feel less safe, and residents have complained that the park no longer functions as a family-friendly or shared civic space. A 2025 assault that left a man dead in the park intensified calls for stronger enforcement. 

City Council has passed resolutions directing more consistent public safety presence, enforcement of existing rules against overnight camping and open substance use, and a midnight-to-6 a.m. curfew.

Though some approaches to limit disorder and crime in City Hall Park have worked, Burlington Police report wider incidents in the surrounding area, around the park, since stricter enforcement began. 

At the same time, certain residents have taken to objecting to Burlington’s harsher enforcement, like those of the People’s Kitchen who serve food to many in the Queen City’s homeless community, saying these sort of tactics worsen the problem. 

It is unclear if police will continue using the camera trailer, though a clean up and re-deployment is likely, given the department didn’t even have 48 hours to use it.