Beyond the Briefing: Unpacking the Full Story of Burlington's Public Safety Crisis
While the official statements from the city’s leadership provide one perspective, a full understanding of Burlington’s public safety challenges requires a look at these deeper contextual layers.
On October 9, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and Police Chief Shawn Burke held a community safety briefing, outlining the city’s challenges and strategies. According to a report from WAMC Northeast Public Radio, the chief noted a “huge spike” in drug incidents while the mayor highlighted new initiatives and a “productive meeting” with the governor.
While the statements were reported accurately, they represent only one layer of a complex and challenging situation. The briefing itself was not a routine update, but a response to months of escalating pressure from a community in distress. To fully understand the state of public safety in Burlington, one must look beyond the press conference and examine the critical context that was left unsaid.
A “Spike” in Crime: A Matter of Data vs. Perception
The most alarming claim from the briefing was Chief Burke’s assertion of a “huge spike” in reported drug-related incidents. However, specific data to quantify this spike was not provided in the media report, leaving the public to question the scale of the problem.
This claim is complicated by broader, publicly available information. According to the Vermont Department of Health’s Opioid Overdose Dashboard, several key metrics for the most severe drug outcomes were actually trending downward statewide through June 2025. Both non-fatal emergency department visits for opioid overdoses and accidental deaths were lower than the three-year average. While Chittenden County’s rate of emergency visits remains higher than the rest of the state, the statewide data does not support a narrative of a universal surge.
Furthermore, a broader analysis of safety from the University of Vermont, published in August 2025, notes that while property crime may be elevated by local standards, “by national standards Burlington remains a safe city.” The analysis specifies that violent crimes like felony assaults and robberies occur at half the national rate.
This suggests the “spike” may be less about a general rise in violent crime and more about a significant and deeply concerning increase in visible, quality-of-life offenses concentrated downtown—a reality that aligns with the chief’s own explanation that increased public drug use and more responsive policing have led to more calls for service.
City Hall’s Strategy: New Initiatives or New Labels?
Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak outlined two key components of her safety strategy: the “Situation Table” and “City Circle.” While presented as mayoral strategies, a deeper look reveals they are not entirely new to Burlington or Vermont.
The Situation Table: This program, which brings together multiple agencies to address individuals at high risk, is not a Burlington-led initiative. According to O2SL and QRT National, which provides training for the model, its implementation in Vermont is sponsored and funded by the state-level Vermont Public Safety Enhancement Team Consortium, an initiative guided by Republican Governor Phil Scott’s 10-Point Public Safety Plan. It is a state strategy being adopted at the local level.
City Circle: The mayor described this as a “new aspect” of the city’s strategy using restorative practices for municipal ordinance violations. However, the underlying philosophy of restorative justice is a well-established practice in the region. The Burlington Community Justice Center, for example, has long utilized these principles, which focus on repairing harm over punishment. “City Circle” appears to be a new brand for the application of these existing principles, rather than a wholly new invention.
The Unspoken Catalyst: A Downtown in “Crisis”
Perhaps the most critical piece of missing context is the reason the briefing was held in the first place. This was not a proactive update, but a reactive response to an open letter sent to the mayor on May 9, 2025.
According to reports from Seven Days and the Burlington Daily News, more than 100 Burlington businesses signed the letter, declaring the downtown area to be in “crisis.” They painted a grim picture of unsafe parking garages, employees feeling unsafe, and families avoiding the area. The letter issued specific demands for action, including better lighting, a consistent security presence, accountability for repeat offenders, and a “serious, sustained strategy for needle cleanup.”
This letter fundamentally reframes the October 9 briefing. It was a politically necessary response, delivered five months after the city’s economic engine publicly declared a state of emergency. The administration’s announcements must be viewed as an answer to the desperate plea from the business community.
Turmoil and Truces: The View from Inside City Hall
The safety briefing also occurred against a backdrop of significant political and administrative instability.
A Fragile Truce with the Governor
The mayor’s “very productive meeting” with Governor Phil Scott followed a recent and public “war of words.” In August 2025, as reported by WAMC and Seven Days, the governor’s office explicitly blamed Burlington’s “failed progressive policies” for the conditions on its streets. The recent meeting represents a politically necessary ceasefire in a deep ideological conflict, not a seamless partnership.
An Exodus of Key Staff
Just as the city confronts this crisis, it is losing its top experts. The mayor confirmed the departure of three key aides, calling the timing “coincidental.” The departing staff are Ingrid Jonas, the Senior Advisor on Community Safety; Sarah Russell, the Special Assistant to End Homelessness; and Joe Magee, the Deputy Chief of Staff.
Most notably, a press release from the mayor’s office confirmed that the Senior Advisor on Community Safety role is being eliminated entirely. The simultaneous departure of the administration’s chief architects on safety and homelessness, coupled with the elimination of a key advisory position during a crisis, signals significant internal instability.
Conclusion: A More Complete Picture
While the official statements from the city’s leadership provide one perspective, a full understanding of Burlington’s public safety challenges requires a look at these deeper contextual layers. The unverified crime “spike,” the rebranding of state and local initiatives, the immense pressure from the business community, and the ongoing administrative and political turmoil together paint a far more complex picture.