Barre council hears safety forum; majority declines further work on public-conduct ordinance

The Barre City Council and city officials held a public safety forum on Jan. 13–14 that drew residents, police and the Washington County state’s attorney to discuss a recent rise in quality-of-life incidents and repeated contacts with a small number of individuals.

Chief Brian Vail and State’s Attorney Michelle Donnelly joined the forum; Vail told the council the city has seen increases across categories including loitering, vagrancy and retail theft. He said the department’s data show a small number of people account for a large share of contacts: “the individuals with the 8 highest police contacts accounted for 367 contacts,” with several of those people repeatedly encountered by multiple agencies.

Why it matters: Residents described feeling unsafe downtown and in other neighborhoods; councilors said they want both public-safety responses and services to help people with substance-use and housing crises. The forum prompted questions about enforcement tools, services and municipal limits.

Council discussion focused on whether to pursue a public-conduct ordinance similar to one considered in Brattleboro. Some councilors, including Councilor Spalding, said research suggests such ordinances do not change behavior and worry about diverting scarce police resources. Councilor Deering and others argued officers lack “teeth” to move people along without an enforceable local tool. After discussion, the manager polled the council on further work toward drafting such an ordinance; the council’s majority responded no, and the manager reported she would not continue ordinance drafting at this time.

Participants and suggested responses: Attendees recommended practical measures such as improved lighting on Merchants Row, more cameras and targeted outreach to social-service providers. Several residents proposed reactivating neighborhood walking groups and connecting people to existing services; an audience member urged lockers and restroom access for people without stable housing.

The mayor and staff emphasized that the city does not itself provide comprehensive wraparound services and that broader state and regional coordination is required. Several councilors said they want continued attention to the issue, including quarterly police updates on crime and service calls; Councilor Stockwell asked for a quarterly departmental report on crime rates and locations.

Ending: The city framed the forum as a first step. Councilors and staff said they want both enforcement measures that are targeted and the expansion of services and housing supports — but they declined to proceed with drafting the proposed ordinance at this time, opting instead to pursue practical, locally feasible measures and to pursue coordination with service providers and regional partners.