News & Commentary

Every community should have meaningful oversight of their police department. We wrote a letter with the Rutland Area NAACP urging the Bennington Select Board to empower their civilian oversight board to review specific police misconduct complaints.

While Vermont continued to adopt smarter criminal justice policies this year, we have also seen a shockingly inadequate response to the opioid crisis, and a failure to enact any meaningful police reforms. 

Where does Vermont stand on police reform, two years after the murder of George Floyd forced a nationwide reckoning on police brutality and structural racism? 

The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee has now held two hearings on S.254, a bill that would end qualified immunity in Vermont. Qualified immunity is a court doctrine that prevents people who are victims of police misconduct from having their cases heard when their rights have been violated. Here’s a quick rundown of what the committee has heard so far:

As the Vermont legislature begins their 2022 session, the ACLU of Vermont is excited to work with legislators to advance and defend the civil liberties of everyone that calls our state home.

Vermonters agree that when police violate someone’s civil rights, they should be held accountable for their actions and victims should get the justice they deserve. Qualified immunity prevents those things from happening.

This year showed us that we are still at a critical juncture in this country, as we continue to face unprecedented attacks on our rights and our values. With your support, the ACLU is still holding the line and working towards a better tomorrow.

The ACLU of Vermont sent a letter to Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger today calling on him and other Burlington leaders to provide the public with complete and accurate information about public safety and policing in the Queen City.

Vermont has a new top federal prosecutor, and based on his recent public statements, Vermonters who care about racial justice and police accountability should be concerned.