Along the shores of Lake Champlain, a city struggles to find balance

Burlington, Vermont is a city on the shores of Lake Champlain. It is home to the University of Vermont and is known for being a welcoming, open-minded place. But many residents say the city has a growing problem with drug use, homelessness, and unsafe behavior in public. Families and business owners are asking city leaders to do more to make the streets safer.

August Letendre took his two young daughters out for ice cream on Church Street, Burlington's main shopping area. On the way, they passed people openly using and selling drugs. A man appeared to be under the influence of drugs and began shouting at strangers nearby. Letendre's daughters were frightened, and he had to comfort them during what should have been a fun outing.

Letendre says he cares deeply about helping people who are homeless, addicted to drugs, or dealing with mental illness. But he believes Burlington's leaders have not found a solution that works for everyone. 'No parent should have to walk their kids through this,' he said. He calls the situation a failure of leadership, not a failure of compassion.

The policy being debated is called harm reduction. It focuses on lowering the dangers of drug use rather than punishing people who use drugs. Supporters say it treats struggling people with kindness instead of judgment. Critics say it allows harmful behavior in public spaces where families and children should feel safe.

Burlington's mayor and the county's top prosecutor both support harm reduction. They argue that arresting people does not solve the deeper problems of addiction and poverty. But many residents ask: What good is a policy that reduces harm for some people if it creates harm for others? That question is driving a fierce debate across the city.

A recent election showed just how divided people are on this issue. Prosecutor Sarah George, who supports harm reduction, defeated her challenger Bram Kranichfeld by about 1,000 votes. Kranichfeld believed the city's approach was hurting residents' quality of life. Many business owners and families were hoping for a change, but George kept her position.

The race for county sheriff was also closely watched. Sheriff Dan Gamelin, who has over 40 years of experience in law enforcement, ran against Kevin Bloom, a 32-year-old musician with no law enforcement background. Bloom, who identifies as transgender, believed the sheriff's office should focus on social services rather than law enforcement duties like overseeing evictions. Gamelin won, but Bloom still received 37 percent of the vote — a surprising result that showed how many people want a very different approach to public safety.

Cathy Davis has worked in downtown Burlington for nearly 30 years as the leader of the local chamber of commerce. When her office lease was up last year, she almost did not renew it because of what her staff had experienced. Workers had been chased, witnessed drug use outside the office window, and felt unsafe on a regular basis. One day her 11-year-old son asked her, 'Do people come to Burlington to do drugs?' — and she did not know what to say.

Davis renewed the lease but remains frustrated with the city's direction. She believes the current approach is failing both regular residents and the vulnerable people it is supposed to help. 'It doesn't feel like compassion,' she said. 'It feels like the opposite.' Her feelings are shared by many who want the city to find a better balance.

The elections are over, and the same leaders are still in charge for now. On a recent morning, people who had slept on downtown sidewalks and in parking garages slowly woke up. A jewelry store that had been on Church Street for 93 years announced it was moving to the suburbs. Burlington's debate over how to balance helping people in need with keeping public spaces safe is still very much unsettled.