The executive order — the mayor’s first — will remain in effect “until further notice” and “may be rescinded” should city police develop a new press release policy approved by the mayor.
In a phone call, Mulvaney-Stanak told Seven Days she has raised concerns with Police Chief Jon Murad about the content of his department’s public statements in the past. Murad has used press releases in recent years to criticize the court system and a perceived lack of accountability for repeat offenders.
“People need the basic facts of situations for the sake of public safety and nothing more than that,” Mulvaney-Stanak said.
The comms crackdown comes a day after a defense attorney asked a judge to slap a gag order on BPD in response to recent statements from Murad about Michael Reynolds, a Burlington man with nearly 2,000 police encounters and more than three dozen convictions, including six felonies.
In a December 30 press release, Murad said Reynolds has “harmed huge numbers of people” and has exhausted all avenues of help.
“We have an answer for this kind of violent, incorrigible, antisocial behavior: Vermont’s ‘habitual criminal’ statute,” Murad’s statement reads. He was referring to a state law that allows prosecutors to seek enhanced penalties — including up to life in prison — against offenders who commit a felony after having been convicted of three previously.
On Monday, WBUR Boston’s syndicated “On Point” program, which is carried by hundreds of radio stations around the country, quoted part of Murad’s statement during a 45-minute segment about involuntarily committing mentally ill people. It included a lengthy recap of Reynolds’ criminal history.
Reynolds’ attorney filed a motion on Tuesday asking a judge to prohibit BPD from any further public statements about Reynolds that could taint a potential jury pool. Murad’s comments have “no purpose aside from creating a substantial likelihood of public condemnation,” the motion read, and could harm Reynolds’ right to a fair trial.
State’s Attorney Sarah George, who has been critical of BPD’s press releases in the past, supported the defense attorney’s request in court on Tuesday, and the two sides are working on a joint motion for a judge to consider in the coming days.
It’s not the first time a Burlington mayor has used the executive pen to increase oversight of BPD. In October 2020, then-mayor Miro Weinberger issued an order that gave his office more input on disciplinary decisions related to police use of force.
Murad had previously announced plans to step down this spring. Mulvaney-Stanak’s order will do little to ease tensions between her and police brass — and could factor into the city’s search for its next chief of police.
Mulvaney-Stanak said she wasn’t worried.
“I have the same expectations for every department head,” she said.
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This article appears in Jan 8-14, 2025.
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