Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday that he’ll be appointing a special prosecutor to focus on people who have five or more open criminal cases in Chittenden County.
The governor’s office, in a press release Friday, said the effort is the first initiative in a multi-point plan aimed at addressing concerns about quality of life crimes and “service-resistant” repeat offenders in Burlington. Additional parts of the plan will be rolled out in the coming days, according to the governor’s office.
“This is an important first step towards improving public safety in Burlington and enhancing public trust in our criminal justice system,” Scott said in the press release. “By surging resources over a 3-4-month period towards reducing the backlog, we can hold repeat offenders accountable, while also connecting people to the services they need.”
Scott did not announce who the special prosecutor would be in Friday’s press release. The governor’s office said the judiciary will also be appointing a dedicated judge to focus on this initiative.
The new “accountability court” will focus on people who have five or more open dockets, Chief Justice Paul Reiber said in the press release.
There are 50 to 70 people in Chittenden County who are "repeatedly causing harm to multiple victims,” and many of them struggle with mental health and substance use issues, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George said in the press release.
“When a handful of people are cycling through the system with multiple pending dockets, we must pivot from simply delaying accountability to providing quick, meaningful court interaction paired with necessary treatment,” George said.
Gov. Scott and Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak had been at odds over how to address a sharp rise in homelessness, drug use and public safety concerns in the state’s largest city.
In August, Mulvaney-Stanak called on the governor to provide more support to municipalities struggling with these challenging social issues. The mayor and other local officials have also said Scott’s rollbacks of the state’s emergency motel housing program has caused the spike in Burlington’s homeless population.
Members of the Scott administration blamed Burlington’s “failed progressive policies” for the rise in public safety concerns, according to Seven Days.
Last month, Scott promised to work with Burlington officials to address the public safety and homelessness challenges facing the city.
In a written statement on Friday, Mulvaney-Stanak thanked Scott for bringing the new “accountability court” online.
“These additional resources for the Chittenden County Superior Court will help alleviate the backlog, ensure people receive a trial, and provide the kind of immediate follow up that is necessary for BPDs enforcement activities to be most effective," Mulvaney-Stanak said.
Burlington has taken several steps in recent months to address public concerns about rising homelessness and drug use. The city started using “situation tables” — a model used to coordinate responses to people who might be in need of multiple social services.
The city council also passed a resolution to boost police patrols after two violent incidents, including a fatal beating, occurred downtown.
