Inquiries, Complaints & Commendations
We are committed to policing with the citizens of Burlington to achieve a safe, healthy, and self-reliant community. The Department welcomes comments and observations about its performance. Your input may help improve the quality of service delivery in the City, or provide valuable insight regarding department policy or training issues. Please feel free to contact us anytime you wish to offer a compliment about a particular employee or event. We are also available to answer your questions or to field complaints about an employee or incident.
We hope the following information will assist you when you wish to commend the efforts of an employee, make a complaint, or seek further information
Making an inquiry
Citizens frequently have questions about police procedure, laws, or the circumstances involving a police-citizen interaction. We encourage the public to make inquiries in order to enhance community understanding of the police role. Most general questions or minor misunderstandings can be answered by an on-duty supervisor. Please call 658-2704 x116 to speak to the Officer in Charge. If you prefer, you may direct your inquiry to a specific unit of the agency by consulting the “Contacts” section of this website to obtain the phone number for that function.
Please feel free to make inquiries regarding individual or department performance. The Burlington Police stand ready to assist you with your questions.
Making a Commendation
We encourage positive feedback when one of our employees does an exceptional job. Positive feedback can raise employee morale, reinforce good habits, and improve police-community relations. Any good news or compliments about an employee will be shared with the employee, the Command Staff and the Police Commission. Commendations can be made by letter, telephone or in person. The citizen may choose to identify him/herself or remain anonymous. If you feel that you have received exceptional service from a member of this department, please call 658-2704 x116 to speak to the Officer in Charge or x111 to speak to the Executive Secretary. If you prefer, you can drop by in person to see a supervisor or write to us at One North Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 ATTN: Chief of Police.
Making a Complaint
A complaint may be made by letter, telephone, or in person. A formal complaint may be initiated by contacting any member of the Police Department who will then refer information to the appropriate supervisor.
Serious complaints, such as criminal misconduct or violations of civil rights, will be referred to the Bureau of Internal Affairs, which will complete a thorough investigation. The on duty supervisor may investigate other complaints, such as allegations of rudeness or improper vehicle operation. In either situation, the complainant will be notified of the disposition.
The disposition of all serious complaints shall be classified as follows:
UNFOUNDED – The investigation indicates that the allegation(s) did not occur.
EXONERATED – The investigation shows that the allegation(s) did occur, but was justified, lawful, and appropriate under the circumstances.
SUSTAINED – The investigation disclosed sufficient evidence to clearly prove the allegation(s) made in the complaint.
NON-SUSTAINED – The investigation failed to discover sufficient evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation(s) made in the complaint.
NON-INVOLVED – The investigation established that the individual named in the complaint was not involved in the alleged incident.
Common Questions and Answers
Q. How will I know that my complaint or commendation was received?
A. If your complaint or commendation was made in writing, you will be notified within seven business days of its receipt. If you made your complaint or commendation in person or on the phone, the receiving supervisor will provide you his or her name.
Q. What happens to an employee if he or she is found to have acted improperly?
A. Some instances require disciplinary action, which may include warnings, remedial training, suspension, demotion, or dismissal. If a criminal act occurred, the State’s Attorney Office will be brought into the investigative process.
Q. Will I be advised of what form of discipline, if any, was taken?
A. The policy of the Burlington Police Department does not allow us to reveal the specific actions taken to discipline employees.
Q. Is there any guarantee that I will be satisfied?
A. Although we cannot guarantee that you will be satisfied, we do guarantee that your complaint will be investigated thoroughly and impartially.