This commentary is by Ali Dieng, a Burlington City Council member from Ward 7.
The debate over police reform rages on, with activists continuing to demand change and lawmakers debating legislation and policies. Unfortunately, thus far, Burlington has opted to make changes too quickly and drastically, without sufficient process or accountability. Even worse, Black leaders are caught in the middle.
While many are focused on the recent Burlington City Council vote regarding the cap on police officer hiring, it is important to remember our community’s recent history.
Black men were victimized by police. People in mental health crises were killed. Inappropriate discipline was applied to the officers. The city council was kept in the dark about these incidents for nearly nine months. The medical examiner was called into question. Hundreds of community members occupied Battery Park demanding drastic reform. The city council received over a thousand public comments via Zoom.
In response, a Racial Justice Resolution was proposed to cut the police force by 30% via attrition with no evidence to back it up and no deliberate plan for moving forward. I proposed that we further study the issue before making cuts, but that proposal failed. I proposed another resolution asking to bring this question to the voters in an advisory ballot, recognizing the need for more community input. This, too, was rejected.
Then, the mayor appointed a director of police transformation — a Black male leader in the community who was given only six months to work up a plan to transform police and produce a report — a report that was ultimately deemed a failure. And then, the director of racial equity and inclusion for the city, a Black female leader, was treated as a biased professional incapable of managing the contract for the policing assessment.
All of these actions and decisions preceded Monday’s vote. All of them contributed to where we are today — as a council and as a community. And this is only a partial list.
Last Monday, the city council considered a resolution to increase the police cap from 74 to 82 police officers. In the meeting, Interim Police Chief John Murad noted that, even with this increase, they might only be able to hire one police officer. As we are seeing in so many occupations these days, there is a workforce shortage and across the country law enforcement is not considered a desirable career.
Meanwhile, the independent assessment being conducted about Burlington’s police force — and which will include detailed recommendations — should be concluded by the end of September..
I asked why this resolution was introduced before the report was completed. I proposed that the resolution be postponed only until the results of this important report are released. This was voted down. So, I voted against the resolution.
For me, a thoughtful process, transparency and inclusivity, data and evidence, and the voices and views of my constituents are all important factors in determining my actions and my vote. I do not care about partisanship or political calculations. It is about action — doing what’s right for the people of Burlington and our officers. I simply believe this issue is too important for us to be reactionary.
Throughout this debate, I have listened to both sides and my predictions have been seen and felt. Due to the scope of work of our police officers, all it takes is for one police officer to have one negative interaction — or use inappropriate force against a person of color or someone experiencing a mental health crisis — to trigger protests. But next time, the demands will be about abolishing the Burlington Police Department, not just defunding it.
Going forward, we need to be smart, deliberate, data-driven, and keep our eye on the long-term goal of public safety transformation — criminal justice reform for a more just and inclusive Burlington for each and every one of us. This is what I will continue to strive for. Despite the challenges and despite the debates, I still believe we can get there, but it may take some time.
For now I will do all in my power to control damage done and harm caused by some leaders of this city to both our community members and police officers.
Sleep well, and stay safe, as Burlington is still a safe place to live, work and raise children.
