Monday, June 22, 2020
The conversation centered on demands from activists that the city cut 30 percent of its police force, remove police officers from Burlington schools and fire cops who have engaged in violent behavior. Department brass and the police union have argued that an immediate 30 percent cut would be dangerous.
"It's got to be done in a way that is intelligent and intentional," Murad said Monday night. "You can't turn off the only responsive agency without building viable alternatives."
Most councilors gave no real indication of how they'll vote on — or seek to modify — Mayor Miro Weinberger's fiscal year 2021 budget proposal, which includes trims of $1.1 million, or 6 percent, from the police budget he originally proposed. The vote is scheduled for June 29.
The mayor's plan leaves 12 officer positions vacant but otherwise keeps the department intact. Just $300,000 of the savings would be diverted to programs that promote racial justice; the remaining $800,000 is earmarked to help fill a $12 million coronavirus-related budget deficit, unless the city receives more revenue than expected.
Tags: Burlington Police Department , defund the police , Jon Murad , Mayor Miro Weinberger , budget , Burlington City Council , Web Only , Image
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Nearly 100 sign-wielding protesters marched to Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger's Summit Street home on Wednesday evening to demand that the city reduce police spending.
Armed with a sousaphone, drums and several loudspeakers, the activists took over the otherwise quiet Hill Section street, blocking traffic with their cacophonous parade. Chants of "Black lives matter" alternated with "Hey hey, ho ho, Mayor Weinberger's got to go."
Activists have mobilized in recent days to denounce Weinberger's fiscal year 2021 budget proposal. After calls to defund police, the mayor proposed not filling 12 vacant officer positions in order to trim $1.1 million from the proposed $17.4 million police budget. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Burlington activists have demanded that the city trim much more — 30 percent of its force — and invest the funds in communities of color.
They've called in to public meetings by the hundreds, forcing the Burlington City Council to hold three straight meetings this week so that people signed up to speak could do so. Wednesday night's meeting commenced as the marchers started toward the mayor's home, with City Councilor Perri Freeman (P-Central District) among them.
This latest demonstration was seemingly spurred by Weinberger's early departure from two city council meetings this week, once for a family commitment.
"You left, so we came to you," one sign read.
"Miro is a copsucker," read another.
Tags: Burlington , Mayor Miro Weinberger , protest , Black Lives Matter , Vermont Racial Justice Alliance , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
The seven-member citizen commission approved the policy 5-1, with Commissioner Yuol Herjok Yuol casting the "no" vote. Commissioner Mark Hughes voted "present" after airing concerns that the commission didn't have enough time to review the final draft.
Commissioner Randall Harp said the policy is much stronger than the previous version but noted that the directive alone can't hold officers accountable for using excessive force.
"Policies are important to have as a necessary condition for getting officer accountability and getting the kind of culture that you want out of a police force," Harp said before the vote. "In many respects, this is a very good policy."
Tags: Burlington Police Department , Burlington Police Commission , use-of-force policy , Web Only , Image
Monday, June 15, 2020
Only $300,000 of the savings would go to social services and other programs favored by activists. The rest — $800,000 — would go to filling a city budget deficit caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The mayor's plan would further reduce the police budget by shifting an additional $800,000 to other parts of city government. The Department of Public Works, for instance, would take over parking enforcement duties, and the police department's data analyst would be paid for with Innovation & Technology Department funds.
Weinberger announced the proposed changes on Monday, three weeks to the day after George Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis police custody. Floyd's death has spurred a nationwide reckoning over racism in policing, a conversation that Weinberger said is long overdue.
"I share the sense of urgency that the protesters and hundreds of individuals who have called in to public meetings over the last week have shared," he said, referring to recent meetings that featured hours of public comments on "defunding" police.
"At the same time, there is a risk of moving too quickly," Weinberger continued. "If we make errors in how we proceed here, we could really undermine our goals by losing our good officers and making cuts that have unintended impacts."
Tags: Mayor Miro Weinberger , budget , Burlington Police Department , Web Only , Image
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
The commission will reconvene at 6 p.m. on Wednesday via Zoom.
The city scheduled Tuesday's meeting last week on short notice in order to fast-track adoption of the new policy, which seeks to increase accountability and reduce police violence.
Tags: Burlington Police Commission , George Floyd , use of force , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
The public comments lasted nearly six hours.
"Our people have been struggling to be heard for hundreds of years, and tonight we're going to take our goddamn time," said Emiliano Void, who introduced himself as a black Burlington resident whose great-grandparents were slaves. "Please help us," he said.
The board, which is composed of Mayor Miro Weinberger and four city councilors, is in the midst of crafting the budget for next fiscal year. One after another, the activists stated their case.
"The times are changing, and these demands will not go away; they will only get louder," Holly Greenleaf said. "If you truly want to be leaders in this, we need to act now."
Though many speakers added personal touches, most quoted a list of demands published by the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, a group led by people of color that advocates for policies to dismantle systemic racism. The group is also asking that the city stop using police on truancy calls and that the department fire Sgt. Jason Bellavance and officers Joseph Corrow and Cory Campbell, all of whom had violent interactions in 2018 and 2019.
Tags: Burlington Police Department , George Floyd , Minneapolis , Mayor Miro Weinberger , budget , Burlington City Council , Jennifer Morrison , Web Only , Image
Friday, June 5, 2020
"I feel considerable urgency to put this new policy in place," Mayor Miro Weinberger said during a Friday press conference.
The mayor announced the plan as the nation continues to reckon with the death of George Floyd, who was killed last month in Minneapolis police custody.
Interim police Chief Jennifer Morrison implemented two provisions of the proposed policy earlier this week: Officers must now intervene when they witness misconduct or excessive force, and they must deescalate situations as much as possible.
"Whenever possible, officers will seek to slow things down. Not every situation or subject can be deescalated," the policy reads. "Conversely, officer behavior can escalate a situation. Officers should not intentionally escalate situations unnecessarily."
Deputy Chief Jon Murad said the current policy mentions deescalation just once, but the proposed version does 18 times.
"When we can give more emphasis to the things that matter to us, it really does affect the way in which officers work in the field," he said.
Tags: Burlington Police Commission , use of force , Burlington Police , Web Only , Image
Thursday, June 4, 2020
The activists also called for the city to fire Burlington police officers Jason Bellavance, Joseph Corrow and Cory Campbell, all of whom were involved in violent altercations with members of the public, particularly black men, in 2018 and 2019. A change.org petition demanding that the department fire the three cops has netted more than 70,000 signatures.
"Anything less than defunding and redistribution perpetuates fear and violence in our community, as we've seen across the country," Lydia Kern told the board. "If this seems radical to you, I challenge you to simply start thinking about it as the right thing to do."
Tags: Burlington , Mayor Miro Weinberger , Burlington Police Department , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
He will take over for Michele Asch, whose three-year term expires on June 30. Asch announced during the commission's monthly meeting that she did not plan to seek reappointment to her post, citing other professional endeavors.
Gamache told fellow commissioners that they would need to have "hard and uncomfortable conversations" in the weeks ahead.
"Frankly, enough is kind of enough," he said, an apparent allusion to the death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis police custody, which has set off protests nationwide. "People are looking to us for leadership and accountability. We need to deliver."
The young bartender was one of three black men appointed to the commission last July in the weeks following allegations of Burlington police brutality against people of color. Their contentious appointments gave the seven-member panel a majority-minority makeup.
Tags: Jabulani Gamache , Burlington Police Commission , Burlington Police Department , Web Only , Image
But the debate leading up to the vote took nearly an hour because some councilors disagreed with including a thank you to city cops for their work during peaceful protests over the weekend.
The resolution, which ultimately passed 10 to 2, also asks Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger to fly the Black Lives Matter flag at City Hall "for the remainder of the COVID-19 State of Emergency."
"The struggle is real, and the time is now to take action," said City Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7), who is black and introduced the resolution.
The measure came two days after hundreds flocked to Burlington's Battery Park to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed when a white police officer knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was fired and has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter; three other officers were also terminated.
Councilors Perri Freeman (P-Central District) and Jane Stromberg (P-Ward 8) cast the no votes because the resolution includes a line thanking Burlington police for their "non-confrontational and professional response" during Saturday's demonstration.
Tags: Burlington City Council , Perri Freeman , Black Lives Matter , Burlington , Web Only , Image , Slideshow