SOUTH BURLINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

We are very fortunate that our police officers are not only exceptionally good in their jobs but also very knowledgeable and accessible to our community members. They know our residents, and this familiarity supports an ethics of care within our neighborhoods. In other situations, too, involving people from out of town, our officers have been commended for their professionalism and concern for people's welfare. They're the gold standard of public safety."

 

Is this enough? I have two stories that come to mind, but it's hard to boil them down into a few sentences. I have tried, and feel free to use any of what I've written -- or none.

 

Officer Bri, the SRO at Chamberlin, made a personal visit to answer my daughter's questions and doubts after news of George Floyd's death at the hands of a police officer back in May 2020. Officer Bri's experience, training, and human compassion came through in their discussion, and my daughter's trust was renewed, based on her confidence that officers within our agency treat people with fairness and hold one another accountable for their actions.

 

At a time when there had been a series of break-ins and burglaries in my neighborhood, when news spread of a young man, a neighbor, going door to door, trying to enter homes, officers responded quickly over multiple occurrences. They were able to speak with him and his family and inform neighbors about him so that we might feel less threatened, knowing that he had no criminal history and that his family was concerned and determined to keep him safe.