Burlington police continue racial justice discussions

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Burlington police officers are holding meetings with various community groups as part of ongoing discussions about racial justice.

Members of minority communities in Burlington and the department are arranging the ad hoc conversations. The goal is to create a space where the two groups can meet and talk without many of the formalities and trappings of the City Council or police commission meetings.

Kyle Dodson, Burlington’s director of police transformation, says these conversations help everyone see each other as people and talk more openly about reform.

“There’s an opportunity to discuss it in a different vein. There’s a little more trust and good faith in the conversation. And as a result what I observed is people were able to hear more, take it in, not have it be personal. And then think about how can we do better,” said Dodson.

They are looking for other members of the community to participate. You can email Kyle Dodson to express interest. His email is kdodson@bpdvt.org.

Watch the video to see our Cat Viglienzoni’s full conversation with Dodson about the meetings.

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