One Small Town Defunded Their Police, What Happened Next Is Pure Karma…

Burlington, Vt., decided to slash 30 percent of its police force by attrition. Since then, city leaders have been reckoning with the unintended consequences.

“We’re in a situation that I think nobody wanted us to get to,” Burlington Councilor Zoraya Hightower, who introduced defunding the police force last year, told NBC News.

The City Council passed a resolution in late June 2020 to address racial inequities in police contacts, declare racism a citywide epidemic, and expand opportunities for communities of color. To fund the aims, the city set a new cap for the number of officers in the department at 74, which is 30% fewer than the previous one.

In the 14 months since, the Burlington Police Department has dropped from around 95 officers, when the resolution was passed, to fewer than 64 today that’s around 20 short of what independent studies show this town needs. Many officers have either retired or decided to work elsewhere. Recruitment has been challenging, and only five officers are able to patrol at night most of the time.

The result was a large exodus of police officers, as well as challenges with public safety and quality of life. As a result, “almost no one” is happy, according to the outlet.

Kelly DeVine, the CEO of the Burlington Business Association said, “Gun incidents are up, burglaries.”

According to DeVine, a paucity of police has resulted in an increase in unsolved petty theft and vandalism – crimes that have an economic impact.

This downtown needs to be for everybody — families, young children,” DeVine said.

With more officers expected to leave or retire in the coming months, they’ll again need to revise the way the department prioritizes calls. And that means some residents will have to wait longer for help.

Burlington Police Sgt. Michael Henry says it’s tough working with a depleted crew and rank-and-file officers are bearing the brunt of the staffing shortage.

“It’s tough,” Henry said. “I just try to be there for the people I am supervising and make sure they are good.”

This shift is happening around the United States. New York City voted to cut funding in 2020. Two years later, it has increased following a spike in violent crime.

Watch it here: NBC News/Video

Sources: Taphaps, Nbcnews, Wcax