Police Department

Department Units, Organization, Programs, and Initiatives

The Department maintains and/or participates collaboratively in a host of units, programs, and initiatives. Below are links to just a few and documents that describe many others.

Animal Control
Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations
Community Police Academy
Junior Community Police Academy
Domestic Violence Prevention Officer
Downtown Community Policing Information
Graffiti Removal Team
VT Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
LGBTQ Liaison
Needle Recovery
Parallel Justice
Records
Recruitment
Restorative Justice
Queen City Police Foundation
Street Outreach Team
Vermont Center for Responder wellness
Women in Law Enforcement

Animal Control - The Animal Control Division is a branch of the Burlington Police Department. Animal Control issues are dealt with by Community Service Officers. If you have what you believe is a rabid animal or a situation that needs to be dealt with immediately, such as a lost or found animal, call the Burlington Police Department at (802) 658-2700 and dial 9 to speak with dispatch.

For more information regarding the Animal Control division and animals within the City, please see the Animal Control Information page.

Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations. The Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations (CUSI) is a multi-agency task force providing criminal investigative services in response to reports of sexual assault, other serious sexual offenses and serious child abuse and neglect. As a collaborative unit, CUSI works in conjunction with the towns and local police agencies within the borders of Chittenden County, as well as prosecutorial entities, medical experts, the Department for Children and Families, and Victim’s Advocate groups to better investigate, prosecute, and intervene in situations of abuse. CUSI operates on a referral process, and receives reports of sexual offenses or serious child abuse and neglect from partners throughout the state. In promoting professional collaboration among law enforcement agencies and victim care providers, CUSI prioritizes the multi-faceted needs of a child or adult victim. Within the community, CUSI promotes education, advocacy and awareness regarding the prevention of abuse at all levels. According to its mission statement, the Unit strives to perform its mission lawfully and with intelligence, dedication, fairness, compassion, and competence while insuring special sensitivity to the needs of victims. To learn more about CUSI and its role in the community, check out the CUSI Facebook page: http://cusi-vt.org/

Community Police Academy. The Burlington Police Department’s Community Police Academy is a free program designed for citizens of Burlington and members of the business community to take an inside look at their Police Department, policing in the 21st century, and contemporary law enforcement operations. The complexity, scope, and depth of the issues that exist on the public safety landscape are enormous. The goal of the academy is to give participants hands-on insight to complexity of contemporary police operations, the challenges, and opportunities in providing core public safety service to the community.

Each Academy is 6 weeks long, held on Wednesday nights from 6:00PM through 9:00PM. We ask that you attend each class throughout the duration of the Academy. If you are interested in participating, please check back in November for the Academy application. If you have any questions, please contact Constance Crisp (802) 540-2365.

Domestic Violence Prevention Officer. Police Officer Erin Bartle, is serving as the Department’s Domestic Violence Prevention Officer (DVPO). As the DVPO, Bartle will provide another layer of quality control as it relates to domestic violence investigations. The immediate handoff to Senior Officer Bartle of domestic violence cases, requiring follow-up or subsequent arrests, will provide more protection for victims, more thorough investigations and prosecutions, as well as consistency. She will work closely with our Domestic Violence Victims’ Advocate, providing a seamless approach to domestic violence prosecutions and an emphasis on reducing domestic violence recidivism. Every victim of domestic violence in Burlington, regardless of their particular needs or domestic situation, will have a dedicated advocate in the Burlington Police Department. Senior Officer Erin Bartle can be contacted at ebartle@bpdvt.org 

Downtown Community Policing Information. Since 2000, when the Burlington Police Department introduced community policing, a range of collaborative partnerships have been initiated between the Burlington Police Department and downtown stakeholders to maximize the City’s public safety resources.  Every day, downtown stakeholders engage in efforts to identify problems and develop effective responses.

Community Policing illustrates how our downtown’s public, private and non-profit sectors can align their management, organizational structures and personnel to support community partnerships and proactive community problem solving. The shared ownership and sustained commitment by downtown stakeholders has resulted in many successful programs and strategies. For information on the programs affiliated with Downtown Community Policing, please click here.

Graffiti Removal Team Beginning in full in July of 2014 and AVAILABLE NOW, the easiest way to report graffiti for removal is to use the SEE, CLICK, FIX program. It is easy!  Just visit this link to report graffiti for removal online. You can also download the See, Click, Fix app for IOS or Android to make reporting even easier. Photos can even be uploaded! Vandalism reports should still be made to the Police (yes it is a two step process right now). That can be done by phone or via this website using the online reporting link.

Internet Safety - VT Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

LGBTQ Liaison - For matters that intersect and/or concern police, we encourage individuals to reach out to Corporal Mike Hemond, our LQBTQ Liaiason, at mhemond@bpdvt.org or (802) 316-6212. Individuals can also contact PRIDE at (802) 860-7812.

Needle Recovery - From time to time, hypodermic needles are discarded on the street in inappropriate ways. You can utilize the City's the SEE, CLICK, FIX program. It is easy!  Just visit this link to report.

Parallel Justice - Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime is a partnership between the BPD, the Burlington Community Justice Center, and the VT Center for Crime Victim Services to support all victims of crime in Burlington. Staff and volunteers assist individuals affected by crimes that occur in Burlington with basic information, support, and referrals to programs and resources that can help address crime-related needs. To find out more about Parallel Justice, click the link above, or email Anthony Jackson-Miller at ajacksonmiller@bpdvt.org or call him at (802) 540-2394.

Records - Our records division is responsible for the management of reports, documents and information that come into the police department. This is a critical function because this information must not only be verified for accuracy, but must meet specific state and federal guidelines for eventual submission to the government.

The records division manages this function by the use of a sophisticated computer system that combines information from the various departmental divisions and units.

As for older crimes, the police department maintains these reports in an archive in accordance with the laws of the state of Vermont.

How to Obtain a Report
When a person contacts our department for services, it is often one of the most critical times in his/her life. Perhaps there has been a traffic accident, or someone was the victim of a crime. In these and other situations, responders usually complete a written report to document the events that occurred. These reports can take between a few days and 45 days or more to be filed as the responders are usually investigating the incident. If you cannot recall the name of the Officer who helped you, or you need a copy of the report, please contact our records division at (802) 540-2370 for information on the status of your report.  You may use a written Records Request Form to make a records request via mail.  The most efficient way to make a request is by using our electronic form, by clicking here.

Restorative Justice in Burlington

Queen City Police Foundation

Safe Streets Collaborative

Street Outreach Team

Women in Law Enforcement

Vermont Center for Responder Wellness Video

Resources