Letter to the editor: Color influences police response

We have written previously about the racist history of policing in our country and how police are doing exactly what they were created to do: protecting property over human lives. It might feel good to tell ourselves that Middlebury is different, but the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance’s database of traffic stops by race in Vermont has clear data showing otherwise. From this data set, covering years 2014-2018, we can see that the Middlebury Police Department (MPD) stopped Black drivers at a rate higher than … (read more)

The history of the police may seem like it was a long time ago, and it is tempting to think that we should focus only on the present. However, the history of police is not only a relic. Even the star shape of the police badge, which originated from the fi … (read more)

Some weeks ago I wrote a letter supporting our Middlebury Police Department and suggesting that defunded police could invite militia completely beyond public control to take over our streets. Subsequent letters by others to the Addison Independent documen … (read more)

George Floyd died after being taken into custody by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department. My initial familiarity with this case began with media images and reports. I see Mr. Floyd, handcuffed behind his back, face down on the pavement, next to a … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — An Addison County investigator of sex crimes against children is now back at work after a two-week hiatus, which began late last month after Addison County Sheriff Peter Newton decided to drop the state-funded post from his department due to … (read more)