Bridging the Gaps: Combining Police and In-House Social Services for Alternative Response

Monday, October 16, 2023

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM PST

Location: Room: 6E

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Jonathan Murad

Chief of Police
Burlington Police Department, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont, United States

Speaker(s)

Lacey Smith

Community Support Supervisor
Burlington Police Department, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont, United States
Anna Wageling

Community Support Liaison
Burlington Police Department, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont, United States

When a crisis occurs, who responds? More often than not, it’s the police. But are they always the best resource to do so? Many voices in communities are saying “no,” and in some cases the police agree. Police also agree that preventing a crisis—including dealing with upstream issues—is even better than having to respond. What can be done to provide alternative responses to calls for service and, ultimately, try to prevent more in the future? When Burlington, Vermont, reduced funding of its police department by 30 percent, the BPD created a new position, the Community Support Liaison (CSL), and a new part of the organizational chart, the crisis, advocacy, intervention programs team. By the end of 2022, non-sworn resources were providing 25 percent of Burlington’s call-for-service response