Public Safety & Public Services

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Sam Douglass supports Vermont's law enforcement, judiciary, border control, and first responders.

We are seeing a drastic increase in crime in Orleans County and more homicides than in recent memory.  All of this with an overburdened State's Attorney's office and understaffed law enforcement.  

This hasn't gone unnoticed by members of our community.  The incidence of crime across the NEK has become a topic of conversation on social media, in the newspapers, and even in coffee shops and grocery stores.  There have even been rallies advocating for judicial reform and awareness for drug trafficking.  Besides housing and the economy, crime and public safety are the issues that seem to be occupying everyone's minds, my own included.  

With an increase in population comes an increase in crime.  As our population grows, we must place an emphasis on effective law enforcement to prevent further spread of crime.  We need to increase the number of officers and better fund our prosecutors. This is an example of state spending where stinginess and inattention are fatal and where we have a duty to provide the services that are owed to the taxpayers.  

Our communities need to come together to address these issues and bring critical support to our first responders, law enforcement, and members of our judiciary, including our state's attorneys and judges.

I am working with community leaders across the county to organize frequent Community Safety Forums for members of our communities to meet with law enforcement and share their thoughts or experiences. 

We need to address the lack of volunteer fire fighters and an overall decrease in volunteerism.  

The variety of calls that fire departments are taking requires additional training and specialized equipment.  With these new requirements, departments are struggling to find people that have the capacity and available time, even in our paid departments. The availability of these trainings is also sparse. 

As the economy worsens, people need to work more to make ends meet and there is less time available for people to volunteer, which makes it even harder for the departments to find members.  So, we need to work with our Fire Departments to craft policy that incentivizes volunteerism.  Offering state backed financial incentives and member protections might lead to better recruitment.  

Some department members have lost their day jobs due to volunteering at fire calls, so there is certainly policy needed to protect their employment.  Introduced in 2024, H.635 addresses much of this critical need for our firefighters.   The bill, "prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees who are absent from work while performing duties as volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical personnel."  The bill also, "create[s] a tax credit for employers who employ volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical personnel." 

Public safety and services are essential, and Sam Douglass believes that the legislature owes a duty to the taxpayers to ensure that the state and municipalities maintain adequate public services.   This includes well-kept and plowed roads.