Shawn Burke, a former deputy police chief in Burlington, is returning to the Queen City next month as the department’s interim police chief, the city announced on Wednesday.
Burke is leaving his post as South Burlington’s police chief to take the position, starting on March 24. He’ll fill in until the city can find a permanent replacement for outgoing Police Chief Jon Murad, who is expected to leave in early April.
“Chief Burke served most of his career here in the City of Burlington, he knows our Department well, and under his leadership I am confident that we can continue to build a Department that is responsive to our community’s
needs,” Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement.
Burke didn’t immediately respond to an interview request. In a statement, he said he’s honored to return to Burlington.
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad to Resign Next Year
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad to Resign Next Year
By Courtney Lamdin
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“This is a time for me to give back to a City and Department I am committed to,” Burke said. “I look forward to working with Chief Murad during this process, his leadership of the BPD has been sturdy and selfless.”
Burke has been in Vermont law enforcement for more than 30 years, starting as a patrol officer in Woodstock in the early 1990s. He joined Burlington PD in 1997, climbing the ranks to deputy chief of operations. He retired in 2018 and went to South Burlington, where he became top cop after longtime chief Trevor Whipple retired.
In South Burlington, Burke championed efforts to create the Community Outreach Team, which embeds Howard Center caseworkers in nine police departments across the county. He serves on various boards, including the Vermont Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission and Department of Public Safety’s School Crisis Planning Team. He’s currently the first vice president of the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police.
Members of the Burlington Police Officers’ Association welcomed the news.
“His proven leadership and experience speak for themselves,” the union said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with him to further strengthen and rebuild the department.”
Burke’s resignation in South Burlington means that both cities will be searching for a permanent police chief simultaneously — at a particularly challenging time to hire cops.
Chief Murad announced in November that he wouldn’t seek another one-year term, prompting the city to advertise for a search firm to find his replacement. Interested firms had until February 3 to submit proposals, and the city plans to sign a contract by next week.