Burlington businesses decry situation downtown, say employees feel unsafe
Pedestrians walk across Church Street in Burlington in May. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
Burlington business leaders are airing frustrations about what they’ve described as a pattern of unsettling incidents this summer and fall in the downtown business district. Now, with the holiday season just around the corner, they’re calling on city leaders to help protect employees and customers.
Mayor Miro Weinberger acknowledged the businesses’ concerns and pledged support for initiatives to address them as he met with business leaders Friday afternoon.
“I am concerned we are struggling to sustain the high level of public safety that this community has long enjoyed,” Weinberger said at the meeting, “and I’m pushing back on that in every way I know how.”
The city now plans to hire a private security firm to patrol the business district during daytime hours, officials told attendees. The guards would serve as “eyes…
