BURLINGTON — Mayor Miro Weinberger appointed the president of the Burlington YMCA as director of police transformation, and unveiled new policing initiatives to address concerns that have been raised by community members about the Burlington Police Department.
At a Friday afternoon press conference in Roosevelt Park in the city’s Old North End, Weinberger announced that Kyle Dodson, president and CEO of the Greater Burlington YMCA, will take on the new position, which is temporary and aims to oversee reforms in the Burlington Police Department.
Dodson will oversee an assessment of the BPD, as charged by a June City Council resolution. He’ll also be examining what a public safety transformation might look like and he’ll be reviewing who makes police disciplinary decisions and disciplinary measures.
Weinberger’s new initiatives include an executive order that will allow the mayor to make recommendations in police disciplinary matters. The mayor has also directed the city attorney to begin to review the BPD’s police union contract and the citizen oversight Police Commission to create a new body camera policy by the end of October. The mayor has also promised that his office will develop a new policy on the release of investigations into officer conduct.
“In this moment we have an opportunity and a necessity to finally root systemic racism out of all our institutions, including policing,” Weinberger said at the press conference. “And at long last fully deliver to our Black and brown residents the fairness, safety and solidarity that they are due.”
The announcements come as protesters have been occupying Battery Park for more than a month, calling for the resignation of three Burlington police officers who have been accused of excessive and violent force.
Weinberger said he hopes the “totality” of these initiatives, as well as the City Council’s action earlier this week to enter into a separation agreement with Sgt. Jason Bellavance, will speak to residents who want to see policing reforms.
While Bellavance is one of the officers protesters want removed, there are still two others — Cory Campbell and Joseph Corrow — they want to see expelled. And they’ve said they aren’t leaving the park until it happens.
Weinberger said at Monday’s City Council meeting that he was unwilling to enter into separation agreements with these officers because it would set an “unmanageable precedent” in the department and because the two officers did not break any rules during their use of force incidents at the time.
“We have taken specific steps that do address some things being demanded by the protesters like the body cam footage or the action with Sergeant Belavance,” Weinberger said.
“I think what has made these protests so compelling to many Burlingtonians are the larger issues of racial justice. It is there that I see real opportunity for common ground. And I think many, many of us are working very hard to make progress in that direction,” he continued. “And, you know, I welcome demonstrators into that work and rolling up the sleeves and doing the hard work that’s going to be necessary in the weeks and months ahead.”
Dodson, who has lived in Burlington for more than a decade, and is taking a six-month leave of absence from his position at the YMCA to take on the role, said he views racism as a structural problem that has been entrenched in Burlington’s past and present. He said he’s willing to have uncomfortable but necessary conversations about policing reform, which he said he’s already begun with interim police Chief Jon Murad.
He said he knows they don’t see eye to eye on policies, but Dodson said he knows they’ll be able to work together.
“This is how you show respect to people that you’re engaged with,” Dodson said. “Even when there’s space between you and that person, there is a way you comport yourself. And I’ve already seen that and that gives me such optimism about the work that we’re going to be able to do together.”
Dodson was previously involved in the city’s last chief of police search process. Weinberger also pointed to his leadership experience guiding the YMCA through the construction and relocation of its facility. Dodson has also served on the board of the Burlington School District and worked as director of Champlain College’s Center for Service and Civic Engagement.
Dodson will be paid $75,000 for his six months of work with the city.
Weinberger’s executive order requires that if a police disciplinary issue were to arise, the chief of police has to consult the mayor and receive a recommendation from the mayor about how to proceed.
The order does not give the mayor the power to fire or discipline an officer — this constraint is determined by the city’s charter, which only gives the chief of police the power to discipline or fire an officer. The City Council has directed the city’s charter change committee to review how this restriction could be changed.
Weinberger said he doesn’t know if under this order his disciplinary recommendations would be made public.
He said his office is also developing a new policy on the release of investigations into officers’ conduct. In early September, VTDigger requested records dating back to 2015 relating to office misconduct or dishonesty and use of force investigation. The request was denied and an appeal was submitted which was also denied because these records are protected by departmental policies.
“We have had a longstanding policy, that goes back well before I came into this office, of protecting police investigations, investigations of police actions from public release,” Weinberger said. “There are valid reasons why that has been the policy in the past. But we’re in a new moment.”
Despite the police union contract not coming up for negotiation for another two years, Weinberger said City Attorney Eileen Blackwood would begin reviewing the contract now. He said he doesn’t think the BPD union “should be painted with the same, negative broad brush that some other unions, I think, are rightly painted with.” He said he does think there could be revisions around how long disciplinary records are kept in an officer’s personnel file.
Under Weinberger’s request to the Police Commission for a new body camera policy, he’s asking that “most” body camera footage be released within 30 days of a “sensitive incident.” Weinberger has asked that this policy be developed by the commission by the end of October.
Weinberger also referenced a new proposal that he endorsed at a Police Commission meeting in early September. Weinberger is supporting the addition of two new social workers, calling community liaisons, to the BPD. These positions will primarily address opioid use mitigation, homelessness response and mental health crisis response in an effort to decrease the need for an officer response in certain situations.
In order for these initiatives to be successful, Weinberger said the city needs community buy-in and also cooperation from the officers themselves.
“If you look at the history of police reform efforts, it is pretty clear that little long term change in policing culture and practice is possible without the buy-in and the support of police officers,” Weinberger said.
“From my perspective, none of our officers deserve to have their names on wanted posters or have to console their children when they’re taunted for being the child of a police officer,” he continued. “We have to find a way, I think if we’re going to succeed at this, to support and value and engage our sworn officers.”
