VSP issues statement on messages sent to elections officials

 

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Vermont State Police issues statement on messages sent to elections officials

 

WATERBURY, Vermont (Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021) — Over the past year, elections officials in numerous states, including Vermont, have received disturbing emails, phone calls and voicemail messages regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office received numerous voicemails that were offensive, profane, and upsetting. The office informed the Vermont State Police and the FBI of these messages. Both agencies conducted independent reviews. The state police obtained an independent legal analysis of the content of the messages from prosecutors in Washington County.

 

After review, the state’s attorney determined that the messages did not rise to the level of criminal conduct and are in fact protected speech. His legal conclusions are available at this link.

 

Recent media coverage has suggested that the phone number in question was “untraceable.” However, that quote was taken out of context from an internal email, which also stated that numerous court-ordered search warrants would be required to determine subscriber information, among other things. Because search warrants require probable cause for an underlying crime, and because there is no evidence of criminal conduct at this point, the state police is unable to proceed with any court process as part of the investigation.

 

“The safety and security of state employees and public servants is a priority for the Vermont State Police and my office. This matter was investigated with the utmost seriousness, as was appropriate given the nature of these repugnant messages,” Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault said. “Although the communications are offensive and alarming, I concluded that they failed to rise to criminal conduct under current Vermont law. Fortunately, the rule of law is alive and well in Vermont, much due to the dedication of our election officials and public servants.”

 

The Vermont State Police agrees that elections officials are dedicated, hardworking public servants who are the backbones of our democracy. Like all of us, they deserve to go to work and do their jobs without fear and intimidation. That said, the police should not and cannot make up or willfully misconstrue the law in order to affect a desired outcome.

 

The Vermont State Police takes threats to all government officials seriously and will thoroughly investigate and forward for review any threats to the appropriate prosecutorial authority.

 

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State Police Advisory Commission releases synopsis of misconduct investigations involving VSP troopers

 

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

STATE POLICE ADVISORY COMMISSION

 

 

State Police Advisory Commission releases synopsis of misconduct investigations involving Vermont State Police troopers

 

WATERBURY, Vermont (Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021) — The Vermont Department of Public Safety and the State Police Advisory Commission today are releasing the second semiannual detailed summary of internal investigations involving members of the Vermont State Police.

 

The release of these detailed synopses began in January 2021 and is designed to provide greater transparency, public awareness and oversight to the activities of the Vermont State Police, while balancing rules regarding internal investigations and the need to have internal investigations completed before public dissemination.

 

A report, available at this link, contains synopses of the 11 matters that came before SPAC from July 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020.

 

The report shows that of the 11 cases, eight came to the attention of supervisors due to internal reporting by members of the state police, while three matters arose through concerns raised by community members.

 

Three of the complaints were determined to have represented no violation of VSP policy by the member in question. The other eight complaints either were substantiated, or the trooper involved resigned before the internal investigation concluded. The complaints in this category included instances related to accidental firearms discharge; off-duty alcohol consumption; violations of COVID-19 safety protocols; mistreatment of other troopers; discourteousness with the public; inaccuracies in a traffic ticket; and an instance of domestic assault. Sanctions for the substantiated violations ranged from letters of reprimand to termination of employment.

 

Synopses in the report do not include identifying information about the troopers involved, which is confidential as a matter of law.

 

The State Police Advisory Commission was created by statute in 1979 and is comprised of seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Vermont Senate.  Among the duties of SPAC is to provide civilian oversight of the Vermont State Police and to advise and counsel the Commissioner of Public Safety in his/her overall responsibilities for the management, supervision and control of the Vermont State Police. In addition, SPAC is statutorily empowered to provide advice and counsel to the Commissioner of Public Safety to ensure appropriate action is taken with respect to allegations of misconduct by Vermont State Police officers. To assist the Commissioner of Public Safety and SPAC, Vermont law also requires DPS to maintain an Office of Internal Investigations (IA), whose sole responsibility is to investigate allegations of misconduct by members of the Vermont State Police. The IA Office, staffed with a Vermont State Police commander, reports directly to the Commissioner.

 

The current SPAC members are highly respected professionals and represent a cross-section of Vermont. They are: Chairwoman Nancy Sheahan; Vice Chairman Glenn Boyde; and members Allison Crowley, John Filipek, Shirley Jefferson, and Mary Alice McKenzie.

 

The Department of Public Safety IA Office receives allegations of misconduct or improper conduct by a Vermont state trooper in two ways. First, the public may lodge a complaint regarding a state trooper’s conduct by telephone, through the Vermont State Police website, via email, or in person. These allegations are referred to as “citizen complaints.” In addition, each VSP member is obligated to promptly report any evidence or allegation of misconduct or improper conduct involving a state trooper. These reports are referred to as “employee complaints.” 

 

Not all complaints rise to the level of requiring a formal internal affairs investigation. These are typically handled by the station or unit commander. For instance, a complaint about a trooper speeding on the highway normally would be handled by the station or unit commander. More serious allegations, as determined by the Commissioner, are opened as formal internal affairs investigations. In the case of an allegation of misconduct that consists of criminal conduct, the internal investigation typically is stayed pending the conclusion of a criminal investigation and/or prosecution by appropriate prosecutorial authorities. Once an internal affairs investigation is complete, the Commissioner determines what disciplinary action, if any, is appropriate and should be imposed. The entire case is then reviewed by the State Police Advisory Commission to ensure appropriate action has been taken.

 

Vermont law requires that all internal investigations “shall be confidential” except in limited circumstances. Accordingly, specific details beyond the synopses regarding these 2020 investigations cannot be made public.

 

SPAC meetings generally are held bi-monthly and are open to the public (except when SPAC is in executive session). Meeting dates can be found on the DPS website by clicking the SPAC link under “Committees and Boards.”

 

 

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Vermont State Police pledges to advance women in policing

 

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

 

Vermont State Police pledges to advance women in policing

National 30x30 Pledge aims to bring more women into policing to improve public safety, community outcomes, and trust in law enforcement

 

WATERBURY, Vt. (Thursday, March 25, 2021) — The Vermont State Police today becomes the first statewide law-enforcement agency in the country to sign on to the 30x30 Pledge — a series of low- and no-cost actions that police agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement.

 

The actions will help policing agencies assess the current state of a department regarding gender equity; identify factors that may be driving any disparities; and develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in policing. These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion and agency culture.

 

The pledge is the foundational effort of the 30x30 Initiative — a coalition of police leaders, researchers and professional organizations coming together to advance the representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing across the United States. The 30x30 Initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE).

                                                                                                                                             

The goal of the 30x30 Initiative is to reach 30 percent of women in police recruit classes by 2030, and to ensure that policing agencies truly are representative of the jurisdiction the agency serves. While 30x30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender. 

“The Vermont State Police is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women officers in our department,” said Capt. Julie Scribner, VSP’s co-director of fair & impartial policing and community affairs. “To better reflect the communities we serve, we know that we need to continue making strides toward hiring and retaining a diverse membership. We are honored to be among the first in the nation to make this critical commitment, and we look forward to working with and learning from agencies in Vermont and across the country that share our priority.”

 

More than 35 agencies — from major metro departments including the New York City Police Department, to mid-sized, rural, university and state policing agencies — have signed the 30x30 Pledge. The pledge is based on social science research that greater representation of women on police forces leads to better policing outcomes for communities.

 

Nationally, women make up only 12% of sworn officers — and about half that for state law-enforcement agencies. Women comprise about 3% of police leadership in the U.S. For the Vermont State Police, about 13% of troopers and 15% of leadership are represented by women. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications.

 

“We are grateful to the Vermont State Police for being one of the first in the nation to commit to being a part of this growing movement,” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative, chief of staff of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice. “We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes. We look forward to having more agencies follow VSP’s lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.”

 

For more information, visit www.30x30initiative.org.

 

Media contact:

Capt. Julie Scribner, co-director of fair & impartial policing and community affairs, is available for interviews to discuss this initiative. Please send requests by email to Public Information Officer Adam Silverman at adam.silverman@vermont.gov.

 

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Department of Public Safety, anti-domestic-violence groups receive $1M grant to support advocacy efforts

 

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Department of Public Safety, anti-domestic-violence groups receive $1M grant to support advocacy efforts

 

WATERBURY, Vt. (Monday, March 1, 2021) — A nearly $1 million federal grant awarded to the Vermont Department of Public Safety will launch an innovative partnership with community advocacy organizations and a national research group aimed at reducing domestic violence in Vermont.

 

Grant funds will be divided among the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, a national nonprofit that works in all 50 states to increase public safety and strengthen communities. The three organizations have been recognized as innovative leaders in taking on domestic violence, and the three-year grant allows their critical work to expand even further.

 

“This grant offers us the opportunity to provide a modern response to people who cause harm in their relationships, through collaboration across law enforcement and community-based groups such as the Vermont Network that work with survivors,” said state police Maj. Ingrid Jonas, commander of the Support Services Division and a leader of the agency’s efforts to reduce domestic violence statewide.

 

The goals of the grant-funded initiative: Develop more effective ways to intervene with people who cause harm in their relationships; expand the focus of reducing domestic violence to be more inclusive of historically marginalized communities; and harness research to target the effort most effectively at centering the safety of survivors.

 

“We know we have a domestic violence problem here in Vermont,” said Karen Tronsgard-Scott, executive director of the Vermont Network. “We have an outstanding system of organizations that provide services to survivors of domestic violence, and we have a small cadre of organizations that provide domestic violence accountability programming, but we need to do more in order to stem the tide of domestic violence in the state.”

 

In Vermont each year, an average of 50% of all homicides are the result of interpersonal or domestic violence. In 2019, the Vermont Network reports that its 16 member organizations answered 18,921 hotline calls and helped 8,760 individuals, predominantly with issues of domestic violence and sexual assault.

 

Conversations in Vermont and across the country about policing reform make the timing particularly apt for this local collaboration, Network Executive Director Tronsgard-Scott said. “I’m excited to do this work with the Vermont State Police,” she said. “This grant really will help us build the kinds of relationships we need to lead to positive outcomes.”

 

Maj. Jonas agreed, saying, “We bring different strengths and backgrounds to this partnership. The Vermont State Police has worked for years to improve its response to domestic violence, including coordinating with community groups and working to roll out a threat assessment for use throughout Vermont. This new initiative allows us to do even more in service of survivors of domestic violence.”

 

The grant will enable the Vermont Network to hire a coordinator to oversee the project; support the creation of a working group to manage the initiative; cover the costs of CSG Justice Center research; and provide funding to cover a domestic violence response coordinator within the Vermont State Police.

 

The working group will collaborate with the CSG Justice Center to gather and process data, conduct interviews, engage stakeholders and take additional steps as needed to provide a deep examination of Vermont’s systems for domestic violence intervention and prevention. The group then will make recommendations on structural and systemic reforms, and work with policymakers to implement those reforms.

 

One goal is to look beyond heterosexual relationships and provide more support for people in same-sex relationships, BIPOC individuals, immigrants, refugees, and the state’s farmworker community, among others.

 

The project also will develop more effective and timely intervention strategies with people who cause harm in their relationships, including restorative justice and addressing abusers who also experience substance-use disorder.

 

“This is going to make a big difference in our state for survivors,” Executive Director Tronsgard-Scott said. “It’s going to catalyze a conversation that’s long overdue.”

 

The Department of Public Safety and the Vermont State Police are the formal recipients of the grant, which was sought in spring 2020 and awarded by the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance late last year. The funding breakdown includes $649,273 for the CSG Justice Center, which will dedicate a team to the Vermont project; $252,000 for the Vermont Network; and $29,127 for the Vermont State Police. The three-year grant could be extended for an additional two years if necessary.

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Members of the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence are available to speak to the media regarding the grant award. Interview requests may be made to the VSP public information officer, Adam Silverman, by email at adam.silverman@vermont.gov.

 

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State Police Advisory Commission provides synopsis of misconduct investigations involving VSP troopers

 

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

STATE POLICE ADVISORY COMMISSION

 

 

State Police Advisory Commission provides synopsis of misconduct investigations involving Vermont State Police troopers

 

WATERBURY, Vermont (Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021) — Michael Schirling, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, and Nancy Sheahan, chairwoman of the State Police Advisory Commission, issued the following joint statement Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, regarding the work of SPAC and the Internal Affairs Office within the Department of Public Safety during the first half of 2020. 

 

DPS in the past has provided an overview of SPAC’s work, but today’s public release of information represents the first time the department has provided detail about individual cases.

 

“In an effort to further increase transparency in operations, beginning in January 2021 and continuing twice annually in January and July, the Department of Public Safety and Vermont State Police, with the support of the independent State Police Advisory Commission, will begin releasing synopses of all internal investigations,” Commissioner Schirling said. “These synopses will be compiled in six month increments to balance timeliness with the need to have complete investigations and resolutions prior to release.”

 

The attached report, which is available to view at this link, contains synopses of the 10 matters that came before SPAC from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2020.

 

The report shows that of the 10 cases, six came to the attention of supervisors due to internal reporting by members of the state police, and four arose through complaints by community members.

 

Four of the complaints were determined to have represented no violation by the VSP member in question, while the other six complaints were substantiated. The substantiated complaints included instances related to accidental firearms discharge; a motor vehicle crash; off-duty alcohol consumption; violations of COVID-19 safety protocols; and mistreatment of other troopers. Sanctions for these violations ranged from letters of reprimand to loss of annual leave time and suspensions without pay.

 

Synopses in the report do not include identifying information about the troopers involved, which is confidential as a matter of law.

 

The State Police Advisory Commission was created by statute in 1979 and is comprised of seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Vermont Senate.  Among the duties of SPAC is to provide civilian oversight of the Vermont State Police and to advise and counsel the Commissioner of Public Safety in his/her overall responsibilities for the management, supervision and control of the Vermont State Police. In addition, SPAC is statutorily empowered to provide advice and counsel to the Commissioner of Public Safety to ensure appropriate action is taken with respect to allegations of misconduct by Vermont State Police officers. To assist the Commissioner of Public Safety and SPAC, Vermont law also requires DPS to maintain an Office of Internal Investigations (IA), whose sole responsibility is to investigate allegations of misconduct by members of the Vermont State Police. The IA Office, staffed with a Vermont State Police commander, reports directly to the commissioner.

 

The current SPAC members are each highly respected professionals and represent a cross-section of Vermont. They are: 

 

Nancy Sheahan (chairwoman) 

Glenn Boyde (vice chairman)

Allison Crowley DeMag

John Filipek

Shirley Jefferson

Mary Alice McKenzie

Patti Pallito

 

The Department of Public Safety IA Office receives allegations of misconduct or improper conduct by a Vermont state trooper in two ways. First, the public may lodge a complaint regarding a state trooper’s conduct by telephone, through the Vermont State Police website, via email, or in person. These allegations are referred to as “citizen complaints.” In addition, each VSP member is obligated to promptly report any evidence or allegation of misconduct or improper conduct involving a state trooper. These reports are referred to as “employee complaints.” 

 

Not all complaints rise to the level of requiring a formal internal affairs investigation. These are typically handled by the station or unit commander. For instance, a complaint about a trooper who was speeding on the highway normally would be handled by the station or unit commander. More serious allegations, as determined by the commissioner, are opened as formal internal affairs investigations. In the case of an allegation of misconduct that consists of criminal conduct, the internal investigation typically is stayed pending the conclusion of a criminal investigation and/or prosecution by appropriate prosecutorial authorities. Once an internal affairs investigation is complete, the commissioner determines what disciplinary action, if any, is appropriate and should be imposed. The entire case is then reviewed by the State Police Advisory Commission to ensure appropriate action has been taken.

 

Vermont law requires that all internal investigations “shall be confidential” except in limited circumstances. Accordingly, specific details beyond the synopses regarding these 2020 investigations cannot be made public.

 

SPAC meetings are generally held bi-monthly and are open to the public (except when SPAC is in executive session). Meeting dates can be found on the DPS website by clicking the SPAC link under “Committees and Boards.”

 

 

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