Here at DRM we are encouraging our Burlington area readers to support our local restaurants and merchants by supporting the safety of their employees. As many of you know, street crime in downtown Burlington has now become a very serious issue after the City Council’s decision in June 2020 to reduce the number of police officers by 30%. Burlington Police Commission Asks City Council To Restore Number of Officers. Employees of downtown Burlington businesses report that they do not feel safe and that they are being harassed and verbally assaulted when coming in to work, while working, and when going home, especially late at night. Burlington businesses demand answers to public safety concerns. Please consider joining us in making a donation to the BBA’s downtown employee safety escort program, a critical public safety service, in solidarity with the downtown Burlington restaurants and merchants and their dedicated employees. This privately-funded program provides safety escorts to downtown employees on request as they are going to and from their cars and to and from their place of work. The safety situation has gotten so urgent that seventeen well-known downtown hospitality businesses signed a letter to the city council demanding action to make Burlington safer. Business Letter Demanding Action. The signers of the letter are: Honey Road, Farmhouse Tap & Grill, El Cortijo, Pascolo Ristorante, August First, Skinny Pancake, Hen of the Wood, Hotel Vermont, Juniper, Pizzeria Verita, Trattoria Delia, Penny Cluse Cafe, Great Northern, Westport Hospitality, Monarch & the Milkweed, American Flatbread, Zero Gravity. And it’s not only restaurants that are concerned: Another Burlington business calling for increased safety measures (wcax.com)
You can make a donation here to support the safety escort program: BBA Safety Escort Program
Thank you, and thank you to Burlington’s hardworking service employees.
