Burke currently serves as the Chief of Police in the City of South Burlington.
He will return to the Burlington Police Department on March 24, 2025.
Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced that Shawn Burke will serve as the interim Chief of the Burlington Police Department, effective March 24, 2025. Burke currently serves as the Chief of Police for the City of South Burlington.
Burke’s law enforcement career spans 31 years in Vermont municipal policing, and he has served in both the Burlington and South Burlington Police Departments. He began his career as a uniformed patrol officer with the Woodstock, Vermont PD in 1993, and joined Burlington PD in 1997.
Throughout his time with BPD, Burke became a leader in both the Uniformed Services Bureau and the Detective Services Bureau, and he served on the Drug Task Force. Burke retired from BPD in 2018, having attained the rank of Deputy Chief for Operations, to serve as the Chief of Police in South Burlington.
Burke currently serves on the Vermont Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission; the Department of Public Safety’s School Crisis Planning Team; as the first Vice President of the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police; and as the Chair of the Vermont Law Enforcement Advisory Board.
“I am exceedingly grateful to have Shawn Burke returning to Burlington to serve as our Interim Chief of Police,” said Mayor Emma Mulvaney Stanak. “Chief Burke served most of his career here in the City of Burlington, he knows our Department well, and under his leadership I am confident that we can continue to build a Department that is responsive to our community’s needs.”
Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak continued, “I am also grateful to the City of South Burlington, City Manager Jessie Baker, and the South Burlington PD for their partnership on many issues, including on this transition. I also appreciate our shared understanding that strong leadership for the BPD will benefit not only the Queen City, but will serve to make our entire region safer for everyone who lives and visits here.”
"I am honored to have the privilege to serve the City of Burlington as interim Police Chief,” said Chief Shawn Burke. “The Mayor and I have had lengthy conversations about this critical role and share common goals toward building a strong and safe Burlington which benefits all of Chittenden County and the State of Vermont. My previous service with the Burlington Police Department contributed a great deal to my professional development - this is a time for me to give back to a City and Department I am committed to. I look forward to working with Chief Murad during this process, his leadership of the BPD has been sturdy and selfless."
“The Burlington Police Department is an extraordinary agency,” said Chief Jon Murad, “filled with people who have dedicated their careers to serving the Queen City. Every day I am proud to work with them as we strive to keep our community and our neighbors safe. My top priority has been a smooth and orderly transition that fosters that work and preserves the innovations our department has made in recent years. I can’t think of a better person for the role of Interim Chief than Shawn Burke, and I’m eager to help him reconnect with a Department he knows as well as anyone.”
Chief Jon Murad will assist in the transition and will conclude his service to the City of Burlington on or before April 7, 2025.
2.12.2025. Burlington, Vt – Office of Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
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