Vermont State Police to provide patrol assistance Saturday night in Burlington

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

Vermont State Police to provide patrol assistance Saturday night in Burlington

BURLINGTON, Vermont (Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022) — Following a request by the Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police has agreed to detail 10 troopers to patrol the downtown core Saturday night.

The assignment of state troopers to Burlington came after a shooting that occurred early Saturday morning in downtown. The request for assistance was made in a formal letter sent early Saturday afternoon from Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad to Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police.

The goal of tonight’s detail is to supplement Burlington Police Department staffing and provide a high-visibility police presence in the city center during the particularly busy late-night and early morning hours. Ten troopers assigned to the Critical Action Team will be in the city from roughly 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, to 2 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, when the bars close. The troopers will patrol downtown on foot and be stationed at high-traffic locations.

Troopers in Burlington will have a limited mission focused on downtown. They will not respond to routine calls for service or provide enforcement of minor infractions, which remain the responsibility of the Burlington Police Department. In the event of a critical incident, troopers will join Burlington police in responding as needed.

By calling upon members who were not previously scheduled to be on-duty and reallocating assignments, VSP has taken steps to minimize the effect of this operation on agency staffing elsewhere in the state. 

Law enforcement agencies across Vermont, as they are nationwide, are experiencing staffing shortages, including the Vermont State Police. However, VSP remains willing and able to assist communities with pressing patrol and investigatory needs and has provided similar assistance, though on a smaller scale, following requests from other police agencies.

The patrols VSP is providing tonight in Burlington do not represent an ongoing duty assignment. The state police will evaluate on a case-by-case basis any future requests for assistance by BPD.

Tonight’s detail in Burlington will be overseen by Col. Birmingham and Capt. David Petersen, VSP’s special operations commander, in coordination with Acting Chief Murad.

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