Menu

Mayor Miro Weinberger to Resume Search for City’s Next Police Chief

Mayor Miro Weinberger to Resume Search for City’s Next Police Chief

Search process will begin with robust public engagement effort and community survey

 

Burlington, VT – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced that the City will resume its search for Burlington’s next permanent Police Chief. One year ago, Mayor Weinberger suspended the Police Chief search due to the uncertain circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the goal of re-starting the search after the mayoral election.

“We need structural and cultural transformation of law enforcement in this country and in Burlington, and to forge a new consensus on the future of public safety here,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Our new Police Chief will play an essential leadership role in that work. Our hope is to have a community informed hiring process that fosters trust and creates a strong foundation for our public safety transformation.”The res

The restarted process will begin with a public engagement effort, which will include a community survey and a series of stakeholder meetings to solicit input from the community on what they would like to see in the City’s next Police Chief.

During the month of May, Mayor Weinberger will hold a series stakeholder meetings with the goal of developing a position profile and vision for what the Police Chief’s priorities should be in their first year of service. In addition to visiting all Neighborhood Planning Assembly meetings during the month of May, Mayor Weinberger will hold discussions with stakeholder sectors including education, BIPOC organizations, social services partners, business, and youth.

Following the stakeholder engagement process, the Administration will publish a Public Engagement Report that compiles the survey data and feedback from listening sessions, update the position description, and post the opening with a position profile that incorporates the public input. At that time, the Mayor will also announce the full search committee, who will begin the interview process in mid-July. Mayor Weinberger’s goal is to forward an appointment to the Council for confirmation in September.

Mayor Weinberger will appoint the search committee in June, with up to 11 members, and include two Police Commissioners and two City Councilors. For the first time for a Mayoral appointment process, Mayor Weinberger is soliciting applications from community members interested in serving on the search committee. One community member will be selected and the deadline to apply is May 30.

The community survey and search committee application can be found on the City’s website, here: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/mayor/police_chief_search. A translated survey will be available next week.

 

 

###

Press Release Date: 
05/14/2021
City Department: 
Mayor's Office