Updated at 7:30 p.m.
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad, who has led city cops since 2020, will resign his post early next year, giving Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak the opportunity to appoint a new top cop and set the tone at the department.
The city announced Murad’s decision in a press release on Tuesday morning. It didn’t provide a reason why he is stepping down.
“Serving the City of Burlington through the Police Department has been a privilege, and I’m proud of the women and men with whom I work every day,” Murad said in the statement. “I know more great things are ahead for this storied department.”
Contacted by Seven Days, the chief declined to comment further. “For now the Mayor’s press release will have to do,” he said in a text message.
Murad’s resignation letter was made public on Tuesday but is dated November 4. He wrote that his last day will be April 7, if not before. He pledged to “facilitate a smooth, safe, and orderly transition” as the city conducts a national search for his replacement.
City Council President Ben Traverse (D-Ward 5) said councilors only learned of Murad’s impending departure on Tuesday morning. Traverse said his primary concern is maintaining stability at the department, which has experienced significant turnover and recruitment challenges for years.
“My hope is that we stand up this search process for the next chief as soon as possible,” he said. “If I was an officer at the department, that’s what I would expect and what I would be hoping to see.”
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Murad, who grew up in Underhill, joined the department in 2018 after more than a decade working for the New York City Police Department. In Burlington, he served as deputy chief until 2020, when he was promoted to acting chief.
He succeeded interim chief Jennifer Morrison, who assumed command in the wake of a social media scandal that took down former chief Brandon del Pozo and a colleague. He eventually became permanent chief in 2023 over the objections of council Progressives.
The chief’s departure will present a chance for Mulvaney-Stanak to advance her vision for community safety, which emphasizes addressing the issues underlying criminal activity — an approach Murad hasn’t championed. During the mayoral campaign, Mulvaney-Stanak expressed reservations about Murad’s “rigid” opinions. But after she won and then took office in April, Mulvaney-Stanak reappointed Murad in June.
The mayor wasn’t available for an interview. Her deputy chief of staff, Joe Magee, wouldn’t say whether a disagreement prompted Murad to resign. The mayor didn’t ask him to step down, Magee said.
In the press release, Mulvaney-Stanak thanked Murad for his years of service.
“First responders, especially those who are called to lead public safety departments, face increasingly difficult workloads and complex dynamics,” she wrote. “As such, I appreciate [Chief Murad’s] willingness to continue leading the Police department over the next several months and supporting a successful leadership transition.”
Loyal to the rank and file, Murad is admired by members of the department, which he led through the summer of 2020. That’s when activists took over Burlington’s Battery Park to protest police violence, and the council subsequently voted to reduce the size of his force through attrition.
Since then, he successfully pushed for a police union contract that offered officers sizable raises and retention bonuses. He’s also attempted to shield his officers from efforts to increase civilian oversight, most recently lobbying against a November ballot item meant to give the police commission more power in reviewing misconduct cases. It passed by a large margin, but the police union has vowed to fight it in Montpelier, where lawmakers must sign off on the proposal before it can become law.
In an email to staff on Tuesday morning, Murad said he’s proud of his efforts to improve data transparency, rebuild an anemic dispatch team and embed social workers in the department. He said the department has hired 22 employees this year, but only seven are police officers. The department also lost 13 officers throughout 2024, he said.
“Rebuilding has been, is, and will continue to be my number one priority, but I will not get there with you,” Murad wrote. “And yet I urge all of you to keep believing that it can be done, because the city needs you.”
Homelessness has exploded in Burlington, and the diminished police force has struggled to respond to emergency calls. In a statement, the Burlington Police Officers’ Association said Murad’s resignation underscores the department’s staffing crisis “at all ranks.” Murad tirelessly advocated to make the city safer, the union said.
“This is a man that truly loves the City of Burlington,” the statement said. “Going ‘above and beyond’ has always been a routine workday for Chief Murad as he led the Department through its most trying time.”
Over the years, Murad has received plenty of criticism from outside of his ranks. Residents and some city councilors have objected to the way he has deployed his reduced force, and people called for his resignation following allegations in 2022 that he threatened to arrest a trauma surgeon who was treating a gunshot victim.
On Murad’s watch, officers have signed lucrative contracts to patrol a private condo development amid a staffing crisis and staged a mock shooting that terrified students and made national news. Progressives have also charged that Murad is reluctant to consider how racial bias might explain disparities in officers’ use of force.
“I felt like every day he was in place was another day that we were further away from being better,” Councilor Melo Grant (P-Central District), a vocal critic, said on Tuesday. “I do wish him the best, but I believe it’s time to start a new chapter for our police department and for our officers. I think it’s time to think about the principles of 21st-century policing and truly act upon them.”
Council President Traverse praised Murad’s leadership during a challenging period and thanked him for providing a “significant window” to find the next chief — a goal he thinks could be accomplished before Murad leaves.
Traverse said he looks forward to hearing how Mulvaney-Stanak plans to engage the community, including police officers, about what qualities they want to see in the next chief.
“I do think we’ll be looking for a pretty concrete plan here pretty soon,” he said, adding, “I don’t see this as a sky-is-falling moment, but I think it is our responsibility as city leaders to ensure that we continue to bring stability to the department.”
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