SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — A string of recent burglaries have left Springfield, Vermont business owners frustrated, as they feel there isn’t anything they can do.
At a recent Selectboard meeting, during the Citizens Comments portion, multiple business owners spoke of the difficulty they’ve had running a successful business due to a rise in crime. Recently, the Springfield Police Department announced that there would not be officers patrolling Springfield between 10 PM and 7 AM. The lack of police presence, locals say, is the reason that crime has risen.
Scott Ballard, owner of Jim Ballard’s Precision Valley Auto, approached the board to discuss a recent burglary at his business hoping for some answers. After being in business for 54 years with few incidents, his shop has been broken into twice in the last two years. Robbers stole keys to vehicles, among other valuables. The issue, Ballard says, is that his insurance company only covers one incident involving a vehicle, and anything after that isn’t covered.
He also has a $1,000 deductible he has to pay for each incident. He now feels that it is no longer safe to leave anything at his Main Street shop, for fear of being robbed again. At the Selectboard meeting, Ballard suggested that two officers patrolling Main Street may help cease the burglaries.
Dan Matulonis, owner of Matulonis Autobody Inc, also cited a recent burglary at his shop as a concern. While on a vacation, burglars broke into his auto body shop and stole a car. The car was then used to rob Biben’s Ace Hardware of tools and then left in North Springfield. Matulonis then had to retrieve the car from the tow yard. Police, he says, have not contacted him about the crime, nor has he received a police report. The report is necessary to receive any insurance payments, Matulonis says.
“The police say you have to secure things the best you can. I have video cameras that took very clear photos of the guy but nothing has been done as far as I know. There are lots of drug issues and I think you have to take care of that before anything gets better. Some more police also couldn’t be hurt,” Matulonis states.
At the Selectboard meeting, Doug Johnston, via Zoom, asked about a recent offer from nearby police departments for aid. Town Manager Jeff Mobus informed him that they had declined the offer due to liability concerns. Mobus said that he was meeting with the town attorney to discuss potential ways to work through that liability concern.
Vice Chair Michael Martin also mentioned that ,unlike other parts of the country, Springfield had no intention to defund the police, and that there is plenty of money in the budget to not only pay police, but offer anyone hired a sign-on bonus but that they aren’t getting the qualified applicants.
On June 7th, the Springfield Police Department held a community forum to address the issue of violent crime in town. The previous day police had found a man who had died from a gunshot wound left on the side of a dirt road in town. The number of shooting incidents in town has also had a dramatic rise this year. Chief of Police for SPD Mark Fountain informed the audience that while they are doing everything they can to help, they just don’t have enough staff.
As to why there is a staffing issue in Springfield, Chief Fountain cited poor representation in national media as to why no one is applying.
Between the hours of 10 PM and 7 AM police are on call along with Vermont State Police, but residents fear that isn’t enough. A Springfield resident asked what she should do if someone broke in, and whether she is allowed to defend herself. Fountain informed her that is neither a safe approach, nor a legal one in many cases. The police urge businesses to purchase security cameras, and other security measures to help protect them from crime.
