Embargoed till 7:00PM September 3, 2020 
 
Letter of Resignation from the Burlington Police Commission 
Mark A. Hughes 
September 3, 2020 
 
My resignation from the Burlington Police Commission is 
effective immediately. 
 
The statutory authority, delegated powers and design of the 
commission render it ineffective. The City Attorney and the 
Police Union Contract further limit any authority that the 
Commission would have to provide adequate oversight.  The 
Department’s gatekeepers ensure limited visibility of the 
Commission into the BPD.  The investigation and disposition of 
the social media matter leading to the resignation of Chiefs was 
a complete failure and continues to be unresolved.  Despite 
these conditions, I continued to serve. 
 
The handling of the discipline of the three offers involved in 
violence must be framed with historical race data on traffic 
stops, search rates, arrest rates, use of force and more.  The 
challenges must additionally be contextualized with racial 
inequities in housing, employment, education, economic 
development and more.  This is systemic racism. 
 
Operation Phoenix R.I.S.E. is a start in addressing systemic 
racism in Burlington. “Restructuring Public Safety” is the “R” in 
Rise.  In addition to reducing the uniformed officer budget by 
30 percent, work is underway to better understand community 
values and vision for services and assess the department for 
restructuring.  All parties must be committed to seeing through 
in earnest this plan, which was arrived at in a democratic 
process.   

  
Currently our Deputy Chief, a former mayor a former chief of 
police and others instead choose to engage in divisive 
campaigns that seek to undermine any hope for it’s success. 
The mayor has a responsibility to address this and lead. 
 
The Racial Justice Alliance calls for the removal of Officers 
Corrow, Belavance and Campbell included hundreds of callers 
that spoke for hours in public testimony.  The BIPOC-led 
protesters in Battery Park are asking for the same thing.  These 
BIPOC folks are emblematic of all black folks in this city and I 
am concerned that their asks are not being considered in light 
of the 401 year-old problem of racism, the current racial 
reckoning of a nation or the commitment to change in the City 
of Burlington.  The flat out dismissal of their demands is 
hypocritical as we declare racism as a public health emergency 
as the top concerns for danger or death of black folks like me in 
Burlington is interaction with a police officer. 
 
These protesters have been peacefully protesting for the past 
ten days at risk of their lives with folks with live weapons on 
site, being fired upon with B-B guns and numerous other 
threats.  Focusing on their on the potentially threat they pose 
on so-called public safety ignores the proven threat that 
policing has had on our black community from inception to 
present day, indicated nationally and here in the city of 
Burlington.  Strategic and political decisions to elevate the 
concerns of anosmia ridden residents resulting from this cry 
for justice reveals the priority to return the privileged white 
residents to slumber, not protect the woke black folks of 
Burlington.  
 
 

 The problem is not that this administration does not have the 
ability to take action on this demand.  This administration 
chooses not to take action because they are unwilling to accept 
the cost of doing so.  This administration is unwilling to 
consider that cost that black bodies have paid throughout 
history or the pornographic levels of wealth acquired by white 
people as a result it – unwilling to consider the cost that the 
folks of the BIPOC-led Movement in Battery Park are 
willing to pay.  At the time of this resignation, there has been 
no emergency meeting scheduled for the Police Commission or 
the City Council.  In the absence of such quorum, no action can 
be taken to a vote; vital votes that would be required to take 
the actions of terminating these officers or asking for their 
resignations at a minimum, despite the city attorney’s skillful 
fiduciary advice.  The mayor has shown no political will or 
intestinal fortitude to act unilaterally on such decision. 
 
I stand with the Racial Justice Alliance in support of the 
demands of the BIPOC protesters in Battery Park.  I can no 
longer do so while serving as a Burlington Police 
Commissioner.  It is not likely that anyone in this 
administration should be surprised by my position.  I ask that 
the Police Commission and the City Council to convene in 
emergency sessions and do what you know you must.  I ask the 
mayor to be a history-maker by placing a priority on the 
protection of black bodies above money.  I call on the 
community to dial in to this moment, support this movement 
and vote!  Black Lives Matter! 
 
Sincerely, 
 
 
 
Mark A. Hughes