A new service is launching in downtown Burlington to provide additional security for anyone who feels unsafe. Employees or visitors can call or text a phone number and someone will arrive in 15 minutes to escort them to their car, hotel or home. The purpose of the program is to make people feel safe and comfortable given recent incidents in the downtown area.
Kristin Halvorson of Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe knows first-hand how important a program like this is. And he just turned totally violent," Halvorson said. Last week, Halvorson found herself in a dangerous position when she asked someone outside the restaurant to leave.
She considers herself lucky. Ten days later, the front window at the restaurant was smashed in the early hours of the morning. So again it was late at night. So it would be nice just to have some other bodies on the street, the more the merrier," Halvorson said. The Burlington Police Department will provide an escort service to anyone who calls, but Deputy Chief Wade Labrecque acknowledged how the new program could be useful.
The City is making transformative investments in public safety to meet the needs of the community. However, in a statement, Mayor Miro Weinberger said in part, "I continue to be concerned as we navigate the weeks and months ahead with significantly restrained resources at the BPD while those new programs are underway.
The City is taking several steps to answer this short-term problem, and I welcome this step by the BBA. When the program launches, it will be staffed by trained professionals. Devine says she is currently in contact with two organizations, both of which already provide security services downtown. Therefore, the safety escorts will understand what it's like to provide security services downtown and will have training in de-escalation measures.
