[T]he city of Burlington dipped into the New York Police Department for its next chief of police.
Mayor Miro Weinberger on Tuesday named Brandon del Pozo, a commanding officer in the New York City Office of the Deputy Commissioner of the NYPD, to replace Chief Michael Schirling, who retired.
“I could not be more excited to serve as the next Burlington police chief,” del Pozo said.
Schirling has been chief for seven years, and served in the Burlington Police Department for 23 years. In a memo to the City Council regarding the decision, Weinberger said the search process for a new police chief began before Schirling’s formal March 17 announcement that he would retire at the end of June.
Weinberger said in the memo that the search committee, made up of 15 city officials, interviewed eight candidates for the position, recommending four finalists with whom they then conducted a series of supplementary interviews. Weinberger not only interviewed these finalists with the search committee, but in one-on-one interviews as well, he said in the memo.
“Now, at the conclusion of this extensive process, I am confident that del Pozo has the character, experience, education, commitment to Burlington and leadership ability to succeed as the BPD’s next chief,” he said.
Del Pozo has worked in the NYPD for 18 years, according to his resume. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds master’s degrees in public administration, arts and philosophy, and is a doctoral candidate in philosophy, according to his resume.
“Deputy Inspector Brandon del Pozo has the experience, education, and perspective to carry on these traditions, strengthen the department and its ties to the community, and lead the city’s efforts to address our new and growing public safety challenges,” Weinberger said.
According to a news release, del Pozo and his family have made several visits to Burlington over the past two decades and have ties in the region.
“The police enforce cooperation when conflicts result, but they have to do so using reasons that treat all citizens involved as equals,” del Pozo wrote in his cover letter regarding his policing philosophy.
Weinberger is asking that the City Council confirm del Pozo as police chief and approve his salary of $114,363 for the fiscal year 2016 budget at its July 13 meeting. In the Burlington city budget of fiscal year 2014, Schirling’s salary was listed as $113,350. The chief of police’s salary was not listed in the fiscal year 2015 budget.
This is one of many staffing changes being requested for authorization in the fiscal year 2016 budget, including the promotions and salary changes of Brian Lowe and Jennifer Kaulius in the mayor’s office after Mike Kanarick, Weinberger’s longtime chief of staff, resigned, and the request for a fifth assistant city attorney from Eileen Blackwood, Burlington city attorney.
The staffing and salary changes were addressed in Monday’s Board of Finance meeting and will be voted on by the City Council next week.