Burlington city councilors had mixed luck Monday night when it came to passing two resolutions intended to bring more accountability to the police department following recent allegations of excessive force, particularly against black men.
Three Progressives — Perri Freeman (Central District), Jack Hanson (East District) and Max Tracy (Ward 2) — introduced a resolution that essentially reiterated the demands made by Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington at a community meeting last month. The measure failed, 3-9, with only its sponsors voting in favor.
Another resolution — which created a special police oversight committee — passed 11-1.
The council took up the resolutions after the recent release of police body camera footage that shows Burlington officers knocking two young black men unconscious in separate incidents last fall. Another officer is under scrutiny following a violent encounter with a white man who died days later.
Some councilors upset about the incidents took aim at police leadership. Freeman and Councilor Ali Dieng (D/P-Ward 7) voted on Monday against the reappointment of Chief Brandon del Pozo, who’s held the post since 2015. Del Pozo and a slate of other city department heads needed council approval at the meeting to stay on the job. Only del Pozo’s reappointment was contested, albeit unsuccessfully.
His department has been in the spotlight since the body cam videos were released in early May. Shortly after, Black Lives Matter asked the city to require all officers to wear body cameras, to fire officers accused of excessive force and to halt hiring cops in favor of adding social workers. The councilors’ resolution on Monday appended some specifics to the asks, such as requiring police to release footage of excessive force within 30 days, or seven days after an external investigation concludes.
“This resolution clearly outlines an expectation around brutal force and violence,” Freeman said. “We can do that for our community.”
Councilors debated the resolutions’ merits for more than 90 minutes. Many took issue with the concept of phasing out police, and during the public forum, two Burlington police-embedded social workers said they aren’t equipped to deal with the dangers officers face.
Councilor Sharon Bushor (I-Ward 1) worried that an unarmed social worker couldn’t defend a police officer during a violent confrontation.
“I wasn’t convinced that approach was the right approach for our community,” she said before voting no.
Councilors Franklin Paulino (D-North District), Chip Mason (D-Ward 5) and Joan Shannon (D-South District) said the resolution would create issues with the Burlington Police Officers’ Association.
Paulino, who called some clauses “anti-union,” said the BPOA could easily challenge the body cam requirement. Mason said he appreciates the desire for transparency but said disciplinary processes are private for a reason.
“We should not be in a position of publicly chastising public employees,” he said.
Shannon criticized phrasing that called for terminating officers who exercise force, saying not all force is equal and that it’s unrealistic to expect officers to be perfect all the time.
“If you put that heavy a penalty on saying, ‘This incident was not done the way we want it to be done,’ you lose an opportunity for officers to learn and to learn to do it better,” she said.
Shannon also disagreed that the department should freeze police officer hiring. Defending that aspect of the proposal, Councilor Tracy said the department wouldn’t shrink overnight. Rather, the resolution would set a staffing goal and would prioritize funding for mental health issues and resources to combat substance use disorder, matters that police aren’t equipped to handle, he said.
“Someone’s traumatic brain injury, someone’s death should not be a learning experience, plain and simple,” Tracy said, referring to the recent incidents involving officers. “We need to support this resolution to send a clear message.”
Hanson, the only councilor to attend the Black Lives Matter meeting last month, said he clearly heard the need to reassess policing in Burlington. “This is about responding to calls from our community,” he said.
Mayor Miro Weinberger slammed the proposal, calling it “highly problematic” and “redundant.” He noted that Chief del Pozo has disciplined officers when needed and has made strides in crafting a use-of-force policy. Council President Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4) said passing the resolution would “go backward.”
“We need police on the street,” he said. “The vast, vast majority of the men and women [on the police force] are out there trying to do good work, and I don’t want them to feel demonized and demoralized.”
Councilors also squabbled over the second resolution’s wording but eventually approved it with only Councilor Dieng voting no.
The measure will create a committee to publicly review the Burlington police use-of-force policy, officer training, disciplinary practices, data collection and more. The proposal’s lead sponsor, Councilor Adam Roof (I-Ward 8), said the resolution calls for engagement from a diverse group of stakeholders.
The committee will be comprised of two city councilors, mayoral appointees, police commissioners and people of color; plus a member of the LGBTQ community, a police supervisor, a police union representative, an activist, a community member “with a personal and professional background that would enrich the work of the committee,” and a mental health and domestic violence service provider.
Shannon, one of the resolution’s five cosponsors, said the committee’s formation is timely and exemplifies Burlington’s commitment to community policing.
Applications to join the committee are due June 24. The council’s Commission Selection Committee will offer a slate of candidates for full council approval by July 15, the resolution says.
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Amazing to see all those folks who wouldnt take a public stance on the Howard Center union have no problem defending the police union. I guess it goes to show who theyre willing to defend at all costs.
‘We should not be in a position of publicly chastising public employees, he said.’
We should all understand that police share at least three characteristics: 1) They have an extra-ordinary authority to bring harm to anybody; 2) They are not responsible to the citizens who are being policed; and 3) They will circle wagons and protect themselves at our expense and pain.
We’ve fallen down on the job as a society. We should be holding police accountable to the populace they police instead of the government that wants to do the policing. And we need to be paying police better so we can attract those who are emotionally, mentally and professionally equipped to do the job.
It’s not about bad guy/good guy. It’s about appropriate oversight of personnel and activities that have immediate and daily effects on all of our lives.
When one of these alleged cop critics on the city council is afraid, who will he or she call?
The cops.
They are “alleged” critics because they are all pandering to the populist crowd.
The same crowd whose alleged members will – again – call the cops if they are being robbed or assaulted or you name it.
When they all need help, they will grab the phone and dial 911. They will want cops to get there fast, sirens blaring, guns drawn.
Guarantee it.
Criticizing cops is so transparent.
If there is any good reason for denying the police chief reappointment, meanwhile, it’s his apology tour. He goes prostrate every time someone whines about the cops – imagine this – doing their jobs.
To the cops, we say, keep up the great work. The whiners are just playing to the crowd. When they need you, they’ll be your best friends.
And they WILL need you.
Burlington, and Vermont in general, is becoming a less appealing place to be each and every day. Mob progressive rule is in our future and it is bleak.
this is about trust, it’s ALL about trust. Trust must be re-instilled in the Police Department. People need to walk in the shoes of the police. They are not perfect, they make mistakes, they are HUMAN, as we all are. One incident does not taint an entire group, or their leader. The Police need to be transparent, and need to have INTEGRITY. They need to admit when they make mistakes, and strive to do better, at protecting and serving those who pay their salaries. They need to reestablish trust, and their leader knows that.
Can’t take action, create a committee. Don’t want to take action, make the committee huge. We can’t expect police officers to be “perfect all the time”, right?
Nate, Brian, Ted. Obviously people like yourselves don’t get the point and narrow it down to police just doing their jobs and people complaining about it.
the old north end has become
Moscow on the Intervale
Replacing police offers with social workers is the most Burlington thing I have ever heard. I could not think of a more disastrous policy ever conceived. Instead of protecting the streets and keeping the peace, let’s funnel our resources to a tiny subset of folks.
Gotta feel sorry for the writers and publishers of the Onion; none of their wonderfully absurd, comical exaggeration can match the reality of the Prog proposal to replace the cops with social workers to confront violent suspects Pathetically hilarious. Sounds like a career-killer for social workers.
Of course Miro had a tantrum and stuck up with his best buddy del Pozo. They both need to go!
This is the second or third time I have read Seven Days describing Councilor Jack Hanson as the only councilor to attend last month’s meeting of Black Lives Matter. I would be more impressed if Seven Days pointed out that NO councilor volunteered, offered or made prerequisite a series of ride alongs with our City Patrolmen/Women before enacting such an oversight role. I’d like to point out that issue now, here, for all to read and see, and ask that you request YOUR councilor ride along with our Police for a series of 8-hour shifts to really, REALLY get a fundamental grasp of just exactly what they face everyday in trying to maintain safety in our city.
“Mayor Miro Weinberger slammed the proposal, calling it ‘highly problematic’ and ‘redundant.'”
Of course he did.
“The committee will be comprised of two city councilors, mayoral appointees, police commissioners and people of color; plus a member of the LGBTQ community, a police supervisor, a police union representative, an activist, a community member with a personal and professional background that would enrich the work of the committee, and a mental health and domestic violence service provider.”
Sounds like a highly objective oversight committee.
Virtue signalling at its finest. Except for Miro, who always manages to reveal his true colors.