Burlington Police Department
Burlington Police Department
Burlington, VT
The Burlington Police Department (BPD) exemplifies what it means to "do good" under extraordinary circumstances. The department will always prioritize service, compassion, and community partnerships, even when its resources are stretched to the breaking point.
Following a significant reduction in sworn officers and widespread resignations, BPD faced unprecedented operational challenges. Rather than retreating or narrowing its focus to enforcement alone, the department leaned further into community-based solutions and nonprofit partnerships that prioritized care, prevention, and connection.
BPD significantly expanded its collaboration with local nonprofits and service organizations to support Burlington's most vulnerable residents better. Through its partnership with the Howard Center Street Outreach Team, officers worked alongside mental health professionals to respond compassionately to behavioral health crises, ensuring individuals received appropriate care while reducing unnecessary law enforcement involvement. The department also embedded mental health clinicians as Community Support Liaisons, allowing non-criminal community concerns to be addressed through services rather than citations or arrests.
To maintain responsiveness despite staffing shortages, BPD expanded its Community Service Officer program, empowering non-sworn personnel to handle quality-of-life issues, ordinance violations, and accident reports. This change freed up sworn officers while ensuring the department could still meet community needs. In 2025, BPD further demonstrated its commitment to nonprofit collaboration by launching a Community Health Initiative with local shelters and health organizations, providing outreach, wellness checks, and ongoing resource connections to unhoused individuals. This collaboration is resulting in safer, healthier outcomes for both individuals and neighborhoods.
Beyond formal programs, BPD officers consistently show up for the community in grassroots, relationship-building ways. They volunteer at food drives and community cleanups, support local charity sporting events, host neighborhood barbecues, and participate in school programs and youth mentorship initiatives. Events like National Night Out, bicycle safety clinics, and neighborhood listening sessions reflect BPD's belief that trust is built through presence, approachability, and genuine care.
Even amid rising violent crime and historic caseloads, BPD's commitment to justice never wavered. The department's Detective Bureau reopened and solved the 51-year-old Rita Curran homicide, partnering with the nonprofit Season of Justice to fund advanced forensic testing. This brought long-overdue closure to Rita's family and demonstrated the power of persistence and partnership.
When faced with adversity, the Burlington Police Department chose innovation over limitation and partnership over withdrawal. By centering community service, nonprofit collaboration, and human-focused solutions alongside public safety, BPD continues to rebuild trust and strengthen Burlington as a whole. Their actions reflect public service at its highest level and make them truly deserving of recognition as Do Good Heroes.
