27-03-2025
Vermont public safety commissioner backs governor's bill
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22 FOX44) – Vermont's public safety commissioner says she supports Governor Phil Scott's public safety bill. In an opinion article released Tuesday, Jennifer Morrison commended the 'common sense, measured approach to restoring balance.'
Within the op-ed, Morrison proposed three reforms including revoking bail for repeat offenders, repealing policies like 'Raise the Age' and ending 'catch and release' practices.
'People feel like their voice and the community's voice has been lost in the conversation about how to keep our community safe, and they're not feeling safe,' said the Commissioner.
Morrison says she believes many out-of-state offenders are flocking to Vermont over what appears to be a lack of accountability over serious offenses— something she hopes a continuous collaboration with lawmakers can fix.
But at the end of the day, the commissioner says, she hopes her piece will keep these issues at the forefront of Vermonters' minds.
'We're asking everyday Vermonters who have experienced disorder, chaos, crime, not feeling safe to talk to their elected officials now, not later, now.'
Dr. Nikhil Goyal, a Sociologist at the University of Vermont and Founder of the Treat Youth Like Youth Coalition, agrees that more accountability is needed, but in a different manner. He argues that issues, like 'Raise the Age,' are investments in reducing future crime through rehabilitation.
'The data is very clear that what makes communities safer is investing in basic resources for the most vulnerable, by targeting interventions at those repeat offenders, and most importantly to help young people rehabilitate and desist from crime so that we don't have them committing crimes as adults,' he said.
Both Dr. Goyal and Commissioner Morrison say they hope Vermonters will continue to have important conversations about public safety and speak to their elected officials in the coming months.
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