Beyond the Press Release: South Burlington’s New Chief Hired, But Process Leaves Lingering Questions
Both Sides, Full Story: You Decide.
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — The City of South Burlington announced this week it has hired a new police chief, ending a five-month search to fill one of the most critical public safety roles in Vermont’s second-largest city.
William Breault, the chief of police in Dover, New Hampshire, for the last seven years, has been selected by City Manager Jessie Baker to lead the department and will take the helm in October with a salary of $160,000.
In an official press release, city officials lauded the choice. “Chief Breault represents the best of modern 21st century policing,” Baker stated, citing his commitment to best practices and leading an accredited department.
A Closer Look
Yet, beyond the official commendations, a closer look at the hiring process and the new chief’s tenure in New Hampshire reveals a more complex picture—one with details largely unexamined by the Vermont press and which leaves some residents and city observers with unanswered questions about the selection.
Only Two Final Candidates
The nationwide search for a successor to former Chief Shawn Burke drew 14 applicants. According to reporting from InDepthNH.org, a New Hampshire-based news outlet, the final assessment sessions involved only two candidates: Breault and South Burlington’s own Deputy Chief Sean Briscoe, who has been serving as interim chief since February.
Missing From the Table
Unlike many high-profile public searches, there was no public forum or “meet the candidates” event for the community or department members to engage with the finalists.
In addition, the president of the South Burlington Police Officers’ Association was reportedly removed from the final interview panel, effectively silencing the union's input in the crucial last stage of the hiring process. The city has offered no public explanation for this decision.
This, combined with the absence of any public forum to meet the two finalists, has left the community and the department’s own officers on the outside looking in.
The final decision was made by the city manager, leaving the public without a clear, comparative understanding of the candidates or a stated rationale for why the external candidate was chosen over the long-serving internal leader.
A Record of Modern Policing and Accountability
To be clear, Chief Breault’s record in Dover provides significant evidence of a forward-thinking law enforcement leader. His supporters can rightly point to a series of achievements documented in Dover Police Department annual reports and on the City of Dover’s official website.
After his appointment in 2018, Breault established a Community Engagement Committee to build trust and open lines of communication with residents. In public forums, such as a talk given to the Dover Rotary Club, he has emphasized treating addiction as a disease, not a crime, and has focused on a “hand up, not a handout” approach to homelessness that combines social outreach with enforcement. Under his leadership, the city of over 33,000 residents has seen a consistent, year-over-year decrease in major crimes.
Breault has also demonstrated a willingness to enforce accountability. In a significant and widely reported case in New Hampshire, Breault fired an officer in 2021 for dishonesty following an investigation into a fatal high-speed pursuit. Breault later testified at the state’s decertification hearing for the officer. That incident has since resulted in a lawsuit against the City of Dover, but Breault’s decisive action signaled a clear line on officer integrity.
Unreported Complexities
However, other significant developments under Chief Breault’s leadership in Dover were not mentioned in the city’s announcement.
Most notably, in October 2023, the Dover police force—including officers, dispatchers, and prosecutors—voted to unionize with the powerful Teamsters Local 633. A press release from the Teamsters at the time quoted a Dover officer who stated, “We look forward to negotiating a strong contract that will address the membership’s concerns and improve our working conditions.”
The move to join a union as formidable as the Teamsters suggests a potentially complex labor-management environment in the department Breault is leaving. This context is particularly relevant given that the president of the South Burlington Police Officers’ Association was reportedly removed from the final interview panel, a move that drew criticism for excluding the union's voice from the final selection.
Ultimately, Chief Breault will arrive in October with a resume that is, by all public accounts, impressive. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a master’s degree in Public Administration and a track record of implementing community-focused programs.
But for the residents and the 40-plus officers he is set to lead, his selection comes without the benefit of a transparent, public process to vet the finalists. The community is left to trust the judgment of the city manager, with the full story of their new chief—and why he was chosen over their acting one—remaining largely within City Hall.