The Burlington City Council voted on Monday night to officially confirm Anthony Geraci as the city’s next police chief, but not before debating his track record.
Progressive councilors were eager to support Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak’s choice to run the embattled police department. And a majority of Democratic councilors said they wanted to see stability in the department, which trumped any concerns they may have had about the candidate or transparency in the police chief selection process.
But councilors Becca Brown McKnight (D-Ward 6) and Evan Litwin (D-Ward 7) were the two no votes in what was ultimately a 10-2 tally.
Brown McKnight said she’d vote against Geraci because of allegations made against him when he was police chief in Newburgh, N.Y. Three women accused him of gender discrimination, retaliation and creating a hostile work environment, but an independent investigation found the accusations were unsubstantiated.
Brown McKnight felt that neither the hiring committee nor the recruiting agency had adequately vetted the claims against Geraci and instead gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“This is what institutional sexism looks like at every turn, another barrier prevents us from understanding what happened to the women involved,” she said. “I’m really disappointed that our first-ever female mayor has brought forward a candidate with this history.”
The comment provoked a furious response from Mulvaney-Stanak, who defended the process and said she had personally investigated the claims against him.
“I am, frankly, very disappointed that’s where the level of debate was taken tonight on a candidate who is very qualified to be the next chief of the Burlington Police Department,” the mayor said.
Litwin, a frequent critic of Mulvaney-Stanak, also lambasted the chief-selection process as opaque and decried the time it took to bring forth a new candidate after Burlington’s former police chief, Jon Murad, announced his resignation at the end of 2024. Shawn Burke has been serving as interim chief since early 2025.
After the debate went on for an hour, Litwin tried to cut it short by calling a premature vote, but all other councilors opposed the motion. The back-and-forth between Litwin, Brown McKnight and Progressive councilors became so acrimonious that Mulvaney-Stanak offered an apology to Geraci and members of his family, who were present.
Council President Ben Traverse (D-Ward 5), who announced his campaign for mayor on Friday, said he was still contemplating how he would vote in the days preceding Monday’s council meeting. He ultimately voted to support Geraci.
Speaking on behalf of his fellow councilors and community members who may be skeptical of Geraci, he reassured the chief that the council stood behind him and will support him moving forward.
Geraci’s tenure officially starts on Tuesday, but interim chief Burke will stick around to until next March to help him get acclimated, according to the mayor.
Ahead of Monday’s council meeting, Mulvaney-Stanak introduced Geraci during a morning press conference at police headquarters. She praised him as a leader who could help revive the department while remaining committed to the progressive policing policies her administration values.
“His background, his character and values match the community safety approach we’ve established, which pairs enforcement with prevention to build safety and security over the long term for all residents,” the mayor said.
She cited her new chief’s 25 years of experience in law enforcement, mostly in upstate New York, including as top cop in Newburgh from 2021 to 2024. The mayor said his crime reduction strategies there helped cut gun violence in half between 2022 and 2023.
Geraci pledged to be an “apolitical” chief who strives to be a strong leader for his officers and a responsive top cop for the city at large.
“I believe effective policing requires trust, transparency, accountability and meaningful partnerships,” he said. “I’m prepared to understand your concerns, your expectations, and what you believe is the vision for a safer Burlington.”
Geraci made clear that a priority would be replenishing the ranks of the department, which have declined from 99 sworn officers in June 2020 to 54 as of late October. In this recruitment effort, he hopes to deputize not just every officer but residents of Burlington as well.
“Please support your police department,” he said. “We are hiring. Help us rebuild our ranks. If you know someone who is of good character, a neighbor, a friend, someone that you have come across within the community that is looking for a meaningful and rewarding career and want to help make a difference in this city. I encourage them to join our team.”
Councilors Gene Bergman (P-Ward 2) and Mark Barlow (D-North District) were both on hand to lend their support for Geraci’s nomination, along with former independent city councilor and newly elected Statehouse representative Ali Dieng.
They were joined by Burlington Police Officers’ Association president Padric Hartnett and Colby Delaire, president of a local AFSCME union chapter that represents more than 300 city workers. Burlington philanthropist Ernie Pomerleau, who has helped fund recent renovations to police department headquarters, also lent his enthusiastic support for the mayor’s pick.
Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, who was recently reelected and attended Monday’s press conference, said she would miss Burke’s leadership but “trusted the mayor’s judgement” that Geraci was the right man for the job.
Geraci comes to Burlington after two recent stints as an upstate New York police chief and as head of security for a school district. He spent three years as Newburgh chief but resigned in 2024 after the gender discrimination claims.
When asked about the allegations on Monday morning, Mulvaney-Stanak reiterated that she personally looked into Geraci’s record and checked his references before making the hire. She said she reached out to Geraci’s former supervisor in Newburgh and interrogated Geraci herself about the claims. She pointed to the rigorous background check performed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which led the city’s recruitment search, and was left satisfied that the claims were indeed unfounded.
“I want to emphasize as a female mayor, the first in the history of the city of Burlington, I did not take this lightly,” Mulvaney-Stanak said. “I’m very confident, having done that thorough review and talked to a few other references, that he is the utmost professional. He is a strong leader, and his values really align with mine.”
A 12-person committee whittled down 15 police chief candidates to three. The selection committee included a Progressive and Democratic councilor, police commissioner Karen Paul and Mark Bouchett, a Church Street Marketplace commissioner who co-owns household goods store Homeport.
Geraci will be Burlington’s first chief hired from outside of Vermont since Brandon del Pozo took the job and moved from New York City in 2015. Del Pozo resigned in 2019 amid a social media scandal. Murad took the reigns in 2020, serving as acting chief before being appointed permanently in 2023. He left in 2025, opening the door for Burke, who will have spent about two years as interim chief once he departs.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
