[B]URLINGTON — It was a dramatic moment when Lizzie Haskell, the young Democratic candidate for the Ward 3 City Council seat, lambasted the Burlington Police Department for its policy of evicting people even in the dead of winter. Unfortunately for Haskell, it turned out not to be true.
Haskell, 21, a recent University of Vermont graduate, made the accusation in a speech at a Democratic caucus meeting last Sunday.
“I find it unconscionable, as I imagine that many of you do,” she said in her speech, “that Burlington police can be called to evict a family when the weather doesn’t even reach zero degrees.”
Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo contacted Haskell after the meeting, and said that in fact Burlington police do not perform evictions. Evictions by law are handled by Vermont courts and county sheriffs, who operate under court order.
“It’s not the Burlington Police Department that takes part in that, and we would take no special pride in evicting anyone during the winter,” del Pozo said.
Del Pozo said he could not think of any instance since he has been chief, of Burlington officers carrying out an eviction. Even when a landlord has called and requested police assistance in removing squatters from his property, he said, it would not be police policy to remove them.
Del Pozo said Haskell quickly apologized to him for the error.
“She was candid in admitting that it was a mistake of hers,” del Pozo said.
The mistake was the result of a drafting error in her speech, Haskell said. She had meant to say sheriffs, not Burlington Police, she said.
“It was more just to set the image of someone getting evicted, that’s why it was in my speech,” Haskell said.
The speech was effective. Haskell, who also spoke in support of increasing the city’s affordable housing stock, and for more needle exchange points, won the endorsement of city Democrats.
Haskell has served on the Burlington Democratic Committee since 2015. On top of her party endorsement, she has also picked up the endorsement of Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George.
Haskell is running for the Ward 3 seat against independent James Lockridge, executive director of the music incubator Big Heavy World and Progressive Brian Pine, a former Ward 3 city councilor. Pine won the Progressive endorsement at the party’s city caucus in December.
The Ward 3 seat is open following a decision by Progressive Sara Moore, the incumbent Ward 3 councilor, not to seek re-election. Election day is March 6, Vermont’s Town Meeting Day. Burlington voters will pick candidates for all eight city wards and the mayor’s office.
Since evictions work through the Vermont Superior Court system and the sheriffs, Burlington City Council members have little direct control over how and when evictions are carried out. But that won’t stop Haskell from standing up for people who face evictions, she said.
She pointed out that council members can and often do use their position to advocate for reforms, and city leaders can also push landlords to be more compassionate.
“The City Council can advocate for certain issues and push the state,” Haskell said. “I also see it as a landlord-city relationship issue, too … not specifically how the sheriffs work.”
Del Pozo said he shares Haskell’s concern about winter evictions.
“It’s an important issue, and one she would be right to bring up,” del Pozo said.
“Do you just kick people to the curb in the cold? I mean that’s the worry. Or do we need to time our evictions and execute them in a way that, in the middle of the winter, sends people into a shelter. A real shelter,” he said.
