Public Safety Commissioner Jen Morrison: Last fall, Vermonters delivered a clear message: They want meaningful change on the issues impacting their daily lives: property taxes, education, housing, and affordability. One common concern unites all these challenges: the need to ensure the safety of our communities, downtowns, neighborhoods, and personal property.
I have spent nearly 35 years living and working in Vermont — not only as your commissioner of Public Safety but also as a mother, coach, neighbor, police officer, and policy advisor. My commitment to vibrant, attractive, and safe communities runs deep. Yet many of our communities face significant public health and safety challenges that threaten our shared way of life.
When I reflect on what I’m hearing and seeing across the state, I think about a pendulum that has swung too far in one direction and needs to be rebalanced. On one end is an overly punitive system that can overlook the potential for rehabilitation and the rights of individuals. On the other end is an approach so lenient that repeat offenders aren’t held accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities. Today, our policies have drifted too far toward leniency, and the damage — measured in undermined trust, diminished social cohesion, and degraded public spaces — can no longer be ignored.
Governor Scott’s proposed omnibus public safety bill takes a commonsense, measured approach to restoring balance. It recognizes the close ties between public health and public safety and tackles substance use, mental health, and community well-being all at once. Healthy individuals build stronger families, and strong families support thriving schools. Safe neighborhoods attract residents and visitors, fueling local businesses and energizing our downtowns. In short, these efforts create a foundation for a robust, resilient community.
Over the past two years, we’ve worked productively with the Legislature to address persistent problems. Now, we must build on that partnership by providing the right tools to hold a small number of individuals accountable — those whose repeated actions disproportionately damage local businesses, neighborhoods, and public spaces.
Our proposals include commonsense reforms:
- Enhanced accountability: Bail revocation for repeat offenders and improved pre-trial supervision ensure that those who repeatedly harm our communities face timely and proportionate consequences.
- Fair treatment for adults: Repealing policies like “raise the age” reaffirms that adults must be held to the full standards of accountability under our laws.
- Balanced intervention: Ending “catch-and-release” practices and improving access to recovery and mental health services at critical intervention points ensure that our measures are both just and effective.
These reforms are essential at a time when Vermont is facing rising drug trafficking, increased violent crime, and the resultant uptick in gun violence and homicides. When serious offenders perceive our state as a soft target, our communities bear the cost — and that must stop.
At the heart of these reforms lies our shared social contract. This contract is the unspoken agreement that binds us as Vermonters: It represents our mutual commitment to support one another, hold each other accountable, and ensure that our rights come with responsibilities. It promises that our communities will be safe havens where every individual — whether a resident, a visitor, or someone seeking help — can thrive. Our proposed measures aim to renew that contract. They are not merely punitive steps but a balanced response that combines accountability with compassion, enforcement with opportunities for rehabilitation.
By reaffirming our commitment to the social contract, we are pledging to safeguard our parks, neighborhoods, and downtowns — not only as spaces of economic opportunity but as symbols of our collective trust and responsibility. When every individual knows that their actions have consequences and that our community will stand by those in need, we create a foundation for a safer, healthier, and more vibrant Vermont.
We owe Vermonters our best efforts to uphold this promise. By enacting these measures, we can recalibrate our approach to public safety and renew the social contract that underpins our shared quality of life. Together, let’s create a Vermont where every corner of our state reflects the security, respect, and opportunity we all deserve.