Vermont's Independent Voice
Browse News
Browse Arts + Culture
Browse Food + Drink
Browse Cannabis
Browse Music
Browse On Screen
Browse Events
Browse Classifieds
Browse Personals
Published October 15, 2008 at 4:14 p.m.
On September 3, I reported that Burlington residents were using the neighborhood email newsletter service Front Porch Forum -- including, in one high-profile case, posting a picture taken with a cellphone camera -- to help local police officers investigate a string of graffiti incidents in Burlington.
Now, after more than 60 charges were filed in two separate cases, one is in "pre-trail process," according to a recent FPF post by BPD officer Mike Hemond. Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan is prosecuting the case. "Considering the workload over there," Hemond writes, "that’s no small thing."
Reached by phone this afternoon, BPD chief Michael Schirling said a 7-member advisory board is meeting on October 28 as part of a "strategic planning initiative" to reassess the department's self-described "community policing" protocols. Schirling, who formed the board partly in response to a summertime public forum in the Old North End, predicts there will be a kick-off event in early November.
One of the advisory board's tasks, Schirling said, is assessing how BPD and local citizens might collaborate on video surveillance projects. In the last two months, he explained, the department has loaned two video cameras to citizens interested in documenting alleged noise violations and drug-dealing in their neighborhoods. "It's not really a program," Schirling said. "Some folks have asked, so we've tried it out in a couple of cases, but it's not something we've embraced as a 'thing' yet."
One or more images has been removed from this article. For further information, contact
[email protected].
More By This Author
About The Author
Mike Ives
Bio:
Mike Ives was a staff writer for Seven Days from January 2007 until October 2009.
Mike Ives was a staff writer for Seven Days from January 2007 until October 2009.
Speaking of Blurt
-
Blurt Is No More. Here's Where to Find New Seven Days Content
Sep 17, 2012 -
Alice Eats: The Mill Market & Deli
Sep 11, 2012 -
Grazing at King Arthur Flour's Airy New Digs
Sep 10, 2012 -
Movies You Missed 55: Making Plans for Léna
Sep 7, 2012 -
Quiz: Ben & Jerry's Flavor or Porn Flick?
Sep 6, 2012 - More »
Comments
Comments are closed.
From 2014-2020, Seven Days allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we've appreciated the suggestions and insights, right now Seven Days is prioritizing our core mission — producing high-quality, responsible local journalism — over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.
