Limited applicant pool prompts mayor to suspend BPD chief search

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger has suspended the search for the city’s next police chief.

The move comes after the Police Search Committee made the recommendation that the current pool of applicants is not sufficient for filling the job permanently.

In a statement late Friday, Weinberger took aim at Progressives on the City Council as being part of the problem. “Our search committee confronted a competitive recruitment environment, where many cities are seeking to transform policing in their communities by hiring new, progressive leadership. That, coupled with the many city council actions over the last year that have weakened the department and undermined the chief’s role, has made a successful search impossible at this time.”

Weinberger says he won’t resume the search until the council meets the following conditions:

• Increases the police chief salary to make it competitive
• Supports the use of a search firm with a background recruiting progressive law enforcement leadership.
• Provides resources and support for a new police chief.

The mayor says he’ll further detail those needs at the council’s November 15th meeting.

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