Burlington advances permanent police-chief search with 12-person hiring committee

Burlington has formed a 12-person hiring committee to evaluate candidates for the city’s permanent police chief position, advancing a search for the long-term leader of the Burlington Police Department.

The city announced the committee on July 7, 2026. It will evaluate candidates with assistance from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, known as IACP.

The committee’s work follows a recruitment period that ran from May 18 through June 5. Burlington received 15 applications for the position, according to the city.

Published timeline set out narrowing process

The city’s executive-search timeline described a planned sequence for reducing the applicant pool. Initial IACP screening was expected to narrow the field to five candidates.

From there, the hiring committee’s stated goal was to reduce the field to two candidates for city interviews. The timeline also listed city interviews with two or three finalists during the week of July 27.

Background investigations were planned from July 20 through July 31. Those dates and candidate numbers were part of the city’s published search plan, not confirmation that each step occurred as scheduled or that finalists were selected.

The materials identify no applicants and do not state which candidates, if any, advanced through screening or committee review. They also do not indicate that the committee endorsed a particular candidate.

Interim chief has led department since 2025

Shawn Burke has served as Burlington’s interim police chief since March 24, 2025, after former Chief Jon Murad resigned. The permanent-chief search would determine who is considered for the department’s longer-term leadership role.

For city residents and the department, the committee is the formal body tasked with evaluating candidates in a process that includes outside professional assistance and a defined screening timeline. Its role is to help narrow the applicant field; the available materials do not describe a completed appointment.

As of the information available in the city’s July 7 announcement and its published timeline, Burlington had not established that a permanent chief had been selected by Aug. 3, 2026. A subsequent city announcement would be needed to confirm a hire or provide an updated status of the search.