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Vermont Department of Public Safety Modernization

Vermont Department of Public Safety Modernization Strategy

Vermont Department of Public Safety Modernization Presentation DRAFT

Police Modernization Community Feedback

The Department of Public Safety wants to hear from you about law enforcement modernization plans  

The Vermont Department of Public Safety is seeking public and stakeholder feedback to shape and refine the state’s continuing work to modernize policing across Vermont.  

This opportunity for comment and feedback follows an executive order on police modernization by Gov. Phil Scott that directed the Commissioner of Public Safety to actively engage with communities, particularly those communities that have been historically marginalized or harmed by policing, as we develop and deploy best policing practices.

Members of the public are invited to provide detailed comments regarding several policies and strategies that flow from the Governor’s Executive Order and, in part, a 10-point plan that law enforcement and public safety leaders from throughout Vermont presented in 2021.

Feedback may be submitted through this online form and centers on the following draft statewide policy proposals, which you may read and download at the links below:

Recommendations for Recruitment, Hiring and Promotion of Officers - Posted April 6, 2021
Guidelines for Hiring Police Chiefs - Posted April 6, 2021
Cover memo to accompany final UOF policy - Posted July 2, 2021
FINAL UOF policy with changes accepted - Posted July 7, 2021

FINAL UOF policy with tracked changes - Posted July 7, 2021
Use of Force Policy 2nd draft with tracked changes - Posted May 12, 2021
Use of Force Policy 2nd draft clean copy - Posted May 12, 2021
Use of Force Policy DRAFT - Posted Dec. 22, 2020
UOF Policy Appendix D SURVEY RESULTS
UOF Policy Appendix D Resources Provided by Stakeholders
Staffing Projection memo July 2021
Body-Worn Camera Policy - Approved by the LEAB, February 2021
Citizen Oversight Framework DRAFT
Internal Affairs Review Framework DRAFT
DPS Body-Worn Cameras Statewide Assessment Update to Legislature, December 2020
DPS Vermont Police Academy Recommendation to Legislature, December 2020

Members of the public also may submit feedback on these reform initiatives by emailing policing.feedback@vermont.gov.

Dispatch Modernization Strategy

The Vermont Department of Public Safety would like to hear from first responders and members of the public as part of the process of enacting a fee structure for dispatch services through Vermont State Police Public Safety Answering Points.

Dispatchers most often are the first contact that people have with the Vermont State Police and the 100+ agencies for whom VSP provides dispatch services. Currently, other agencies in Vermont that provide dispatching services charges agencies for those services, while dispatching provided by the Vermont State Police carries no charge. This creates disparities that the proposed fee structure would eliminate.

Virtual public forums for first responders and members of the public took place over two weeks in mid-October 2020; to learn more, see this news release. You can also explore the documents below:

FY23 DPS Budget Proposal — posted March 9, 2022
FY23 FY23 DPS Supplemental Budget Document — posted March 9, 2022
DPS response to VLCT concerns — posted March 9, 2022
Stakeholder Synopsis DRAFT
Fee Structure Report DRAFT
Fee Worksheet DRAFT
Law Enforcement Advisory Board Dispatch Working Group DRAFT
Law Enforcement Advisory Board Historical Outline of Dispatch Fees DRAFT
Public Safety Answering Points Fee Update Memo DRAFT
DPS Dispatch Recommendation to Legislature, December 2020

This webpage was updated most recently on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.