“Police work hard at arresting suspects and putting solid cases together, but the prosecutors are overwhelmed with limited resources. “The problem is the entire criminal justice system needs reform. These are real issues, but letting people out without addressing treatment while incarcerated doesn’t work,” Doucette says.
“We have a nationwide problem with fentanyl, heroin. “Based on a three- to five-year average, we are up significantly,” Shirling said.ĭoucette feels that the biggest part of the problem is that the criminal justice system in Vermont is letting many offenders back into the community without receiving proper treatment while incarcerated, and the reputation that Vermont has of being soft on crime. Still, Shirling feels confident that the number of incidents of people being shot at and violent drug crimes is up significantly. Year-over-year comparisons aren’t possible right now as Vermont recently employed various new data systems statewide to keep track of crime statistics like shootings. Frankly, though, some of it is offenders telling us that they are more likely to commit drug offenses in Vermont than in adjacent states because they see our justice system as less robust, except, they’re not using the word ‘robust.’” That just hasn’t waned for a decade-and-a-half. “Some is due to the pandemic,” Shirling continued, “but a lot of it is due to the continuing, burgeoning opioid epidemic. That’s a fairly high number for Vermont.” The other half involved a projectile’s actual discharge at buildings, cars, or people. Out of those, about half have been used at a threat, displaying the firearm. “There have so far this year been approximately 150 incidents related to firearms here in Vermont. He also agrees that the issues of drugs, mental health, guns, and our legal system all contribute to the recent increase in shootings and violent crime. Vermont’s outgoing Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Shirling agrees that there has been an uptick. We have made multiple arrests along with our federal and state partners, and are continuing to try and bring those to justice, but that doesn’t change how concerning this is.” We’ve recently seen disputes between rivals in the drug world, people who owe money, shootings, and stabbings. “As the police chief, it’s concerning to our residents, and I attribute almost all of this to our issues surrounding illicit narcotics here in Vermont and surrounding states. “That sort of thing was almost non-existent.”ĭoucette feels that the uptick in gunfire and violence goes hand-in-hand with many of the issues Vermont and the nation face - the continuing opioid epidemic, the lack of mental health facilities, lax gun laws, and the genuine need for criminal court reform. That’s never really happened in Bennington before. So far this year alone, we’ve had eight reports of gunfire.
“We have seen an uptick in drive-by shootings, where people are firing randomly at individuals or homes, most recently at the intersection of Main Street and McCall Street where there were numerous reports of shots fired, with officers recovering several spent 9mm casings.
“I can tell you with one-hundred percent accuracy that there is an uptick in violence in Vermont,” Doucette said. “I’ve been here for over thirty-two years, and I’ve never seen the level of violence that we’re seeing now,” said Paul Doucette, Bennington Police Department’s Chief of Police.
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