Video of Gov. Peter Shumlin’s news conference June 11, 2015, in Waterbury.
WATERBURY — Gov. Peter Shumlin and public safety officials said Thursday there was no reason to suspect that two escaped New York prisoners were in Vermont but he urged residents to be on guard.
“I just want to make it perfectly clear that we have no credible threat at the moment,” Vermont State Police Col. Tom L’Esperance said at a news conference Thursday.
But Shumlin said Vermonters should keep their eyes open.
“I don’t know what they’ll do to people if they see ’em,” Shumlin said of the escapees. “We know these people are ruthless, nasty killers. Just look at their records. They will do anything to achieve their freedom, and they’ve got a history of doing horrid things to people.”
According to an Associated Press report, no vehicles were found stolen in the Dannemora area, making it unlikely that the fugitives had successfully crossed the Vermont border. Still, Shumlin stressed the need for caution and vigilance on this side of Lake Champlain.
“They appear to have picked up the scent over there (in Dannemora). That’s good news. Every time we have something like that that’s concrete is hugely helpful to us as we’re trying to figure out where they are,” he said. “Bottom line is, they could be anywhere – including Vermont and New York State.”
L’Esperance provided assurance that his counterparts in New York were doing everything within their power to keep the border secure.
“The (police) presence on that side is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s a police state in northern New York, as it should be,” he said.
Shumlin, L’Esperance and other Vermont officials joined New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wednesday in Dannemora to discuss the cooperation between the two states.
On the Vermont side, law enforcement presence is sparse compared with the New York manhunt. L’Esperance said that Vermont law enforcement is spread thin guarding the Lake Champlain shoreline but that both uniformed and undercover detectives are patrolling the roadways, and that all officers are ready to be mobilized at a moment’s notice.
“We don’t have the same visible presence that New York State Department of Corrections has, and we shouldn’t have that at this point. That would be an overreaction,” he said, explaining that too much police visibility would would cost law enforcement the element of surprise that might help catch the fugitives.
“I can’t state that enough. We don’t necessarily want to put on a show. We want to be visible, but we want to be effective – so deploying five troopers to the ferry to make people feel good might not be the best idea,” he said.
While the state is actively investigating hunting areas and campgrounds, Shumlin declined to comment on which, if any, the public should avoid, saying he was unable to comment on active leads.
“Having said that, Vermonters should not panic,” he said. You should do what you would normally do, and use your good judgment before you do it.”
New York State is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Sweat and Matt. Shumlin cautioned residents against attempting to capture the convicts themselves.
“I’m urging Vermonters to use the common sense that Vermonters always have. We’re messing with folks here that are ruthless. They have no heart, they have no conscience, they’ll kill to get their way if they need to. Obviously, it would be foolish to try and apprehend them,” he said.
“Anyone who leads to getting these folks locked back up and gives us the tip, gets the reward. We aren’t asking you to do the job yourself, we’re asking you not to.”
If they are in Vermont, Shumlin predicted that Sweat and Matt won’t be free for long.
“They’ve picked the wrong state,” he said.
