City Admits Defunding Police was a 'Mistake' – JP

The city of Burlington, Vermont, has admitted that cutting police funding was a “mistake.”

Ernie Pomerleau, President and CEO of Pomerleau Real Estate, told Fox News that the city’s police department has struggled with recruitment since 2020.

During the racial justice riots, the city lowered its police from 105 to 74. In 2022, however, the city council raised the officer cap to 87 and moved to increase the police budget by $2.47 million.

“And so, they allowed attrition to take down the police force – that was a mistake,” Pomerleau said, adding, “We need to support the police.”

Burlington City Council President Ben Traverse told the outlet, “I think we’ve seen increased drug trafficking and drug use. You’ve seen increased circumstances of retail theft as well, and a lot of crimes that revolve around that – increased gun-related crimes and other violence that comes with an increase in drug trafficking. Those are the kinds of issues that we’ve been dealing with here.”

The Burlington Police Officers’ Association wrote to the city council on Wednesday that a “major deterrent” to those who may desire to join the city’s police force is that some officials do not support officers.

“I believe that the perception of the city, the city council, and the mayor’s office is a major deterrent for people who live in the area and want to pursue law enforcement careers to serve their local communities,” the letter read. “Sound wounds heal over time, but without outspoken support from these offices, I do not forsee Burlington being able to once again be the pinnacle of policing in the state of Vermont.”