Vermont Criminal Justice Council briefs Senate on training overhaul, new code of conduct and certification tiers

Montpelier — Representatives of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council told the Senate Government Operations Committee on Jan. 30 that the council has completed a multi-year rulemaking effort, adopted a law-enforcement code of conduct and is pursuing a phased overhaul of training curriculum, certification tiers and impaired-driving instruction.

The update came during a roughly 30-minute briefing to the committee by Christopher Bridal, deputy director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC), who described changes the council approved in 2024 and January 2025 and outlined ongoing projects including a curriculum rewrite, a new entry-level “level 1” certification, and a planned officer wellness program.

Bridal said the VCJC — reconstituted in 2020 as a 24-member body that includes traditional law-enforcement seats and new stakeholder seats — “promotes the health, safety, and welfare of the public in the way of providing training to law enforcement.” He told senators the council has statutory authority to adopt rules approving training schools and off-site programs, to set instructor qualifications and to define the content and application of the new law-enforcement officers code of conduct.

Why it matters: The council oversees the Vermont Police Academy, which provides the only state certification for law-enforcement officers in Vermont. Changes to academy curriculum, certification rules and public-facing conduct standards affect all state, county and municipal law-enforcement personnel and how agencies coordinate during incidents.

Major items discussed

Code of conduct and rulemaking: Bridal said the VCJC completed an extensive working-group process and public hearings to develop the law-enforcement officers code of conduct and moved portions of training requirements out of statute into rules. He described the rulemaking process used to update council rules (a process the council pursued in 2021–2024) and said recent rule changes became effective Feb. 2, 2025. Bridal said the rules allow the council to publish conduct-related findings and, within statutory limits, to impose sanctions for unprofessional conduct.

Certification levels and a new level 1: The VCJC described three certification tiers that were created in statute. Bridal summarized the current structure as: level 3 — full-time certification awarded after a 17-week academy; level 2 — a part-time/limited patrol certification delivered as a short entry course with subsequent required core and elective classes plus supervised field training; and a proposed level 1 — a narrow-entry certification that the council is developing to meet the needs of constables, prisoner transport and courtroom security. Bridal said some agencies previously opted for level 2 because the jump from level 1 to level 2 is small, and the council is now drafting the level 1 curriculum and scope. He said a June 2025 rollout was unlikely and that realistic timing for level 1 training is “early 2026.”

Impaired-driving training (ARIDE): Bridal reported the council adopted rule language to address Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training now that the statutory language was altered in the last legislative session. He told the committee that, after checking with staff, the VCJC estimates “around 480 officers statewide” currently lack ARIDE training; Bridal said that figure includes officers still within the three-year window for completing required training and does not represent a large lapse in compliance.

Curriculum rewrite and entrance testing: The VCJC is in year two of a curriculum rewrite supported by the Legislature and governor. Bridal said a contracted firm is assisting with the rewrite and that the next phase is instructor familiarization. The council also is revisiting entrance testing — the committee was told the council previously stopped using a written entrance test because it produced disparate outcomes, and a revised approach will be discussed at the VCJC meeting scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025.

Officer wellness and staffing: Bridal described an officer-wellness contract with an external fitness/wellness vendor (referred to in the briefing as O2S/O2X) to reduce recruit injuries and speed recovery, and he said the Vermont Police Academy staff is 14 people charged with training more than 1,400 officers statewide. He called the workload “significant” and asked the committee to note the limited staff capacity that supports statewide standardization of basic and in-service training.

Recruitment and outcomes: The VCJC told the committee that in 2024 the academy certified about 82 new officers (including level 2 and level 3 graduates) and that the academy runs two 17-week full-time classes per year plus multiple level 2 delivery cycles. Bridal said the VCJC is hosting a leadership program in September developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) aimed at increasing women’s leadership in policing and supporting recruitment.

Discussion and committee follow-up: Senators asked how the new code of conduct and training would respond to future federal developments and how the VCJC plans to implement fair-and-impartial policing training. Bridal said the council will pilot a revised online fair-and-impartial policing module and deliver it in a format different from previous online trainings. Committee members requested a follow-up briefing focused on training requirements and eligibility; Bridal agreed to provide the council’s materials and to return for deeper discussion on curriculum and eligibility rules.

Quotes from the meeting

“We are currently looking at, I think, a number of around 480 officers statewide that don't have ARIDE training,” Christopher Bridal, deputy director, Vermont Criminal Justice Council, said, noting that the figure includes officers who are still within the three-year training window.

“Our council promotes the health, safety, and welfare of the public in the way of providing training to law enforcement,” Bridal said when summarizing the council’s statutory mission.

Ending: Senators thanked the VCJC representatives and asked the council to return with additional material on eligibility criteria and training details. Bridal said he would send the committee the code of conduct and would make staff available for a follow-up session.