More than 170 business owners in Burlington, Vermont have signed an open letter warning that rising crime is driving away tourists, scaring off college parents, and strangling small businesses. Once known as a safe, scenic college town, Burlington is now plagued by open drug use, vandalism, theft, and public disorder. Residents and entrepreneurs are demanding that city officials act, as the impacts on the local economy and community life intensify.
The letter highlights a growing fear that parents of prospective students at the University of Vermont are turning away from the city. Graffiti, shoplifting, and people openly using or selling drugs are now common sights in areas frequented by students, visitors, and tourists. What was once described as a quirky and welcoming downtown has become, according to local business owners, “scary” and “disgusting.”
The surge in lawlessness has also threatened Vermont’s vital tourism sector. Burlington, a destination for fall foliage tourism and cultural events, is now seeing declining foot traffic and shuttered storefronts. Local law enforcement figures have called for a greater police presence, but city leadership continues to prioritize progressive policies that limit enforcement. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak acknowledged public safety concerns but stopped short of endorsing increased patrols, citing fears of undermining “progressive reforms.”
Sheriff Jimmy Baldea of Rutland County criticized the city’s resistance to stronger policing, warning that soft-on-crime policies are emboldening criminals. He emphasized that public safety requires both compassion and consequence, and that citizens need to see visible law enforcement to feel protected. Baldea, along with other law enforcement officials, has urged the city to support officers and reestablish order before more businesses collapse or leave.
The rise in urban crime is not unique to Burlington. Across several Democrat-led cities, similar patterns are playing out as officials reduce police budgets, decriminalize drug use, and allow public spaces to become zones of unchecked disorder.
