The committee includes representatives of city government, the City Council, the Burlington Police Commission and the community. Its role is to evaluate candidates after an initial review by the policing association.

The City of Burlington received 15 applications during a posting period that ran from May 18 through June 5, 2026. The applicants were not identified in the city’s announcement.

How the search is expected to proceed

The International Association of Chiefs of Police, known as IACP, is to conduct the initial application review and reduce the pool to five candidates. Those candidates are then expected to undergo a full assessment.

After that assessment, the committee aims to narrow the field to two candidates for interviews. The city said interviews were planned for July and August 2026, but did not specify a final selection date.

The announced sequence describes a planned process, not a completed selection. The city did not name finalists or indicate that any applicant had been favored.

Community input preceded committee work

IACP’s earlier work for the search included four focus groups, stakeholder meetings and an online survey offered in multiple languages. The survey received 603 responses and was available in 10 languages, according to the city.

That engagement work was part of the groundwork for the permanent-chief search before the hiring committee began its candidate-evaluation role.

Leadership transition remains ongoing

Interim Chief Shawn Burke has led the Burlington Police Department since March 24, 2025, following former Chief Jon Murad’s resignation. The search will determine the department’s next long-term leader.

The city announcement carries a formal release date of July 7, 2026. The webpage displaying the announcement was posted July 27, creating a difference between the stated release date and the page-posting date.

For now, the next identified steps are IACP’s initial screening, the full assessments for the five candidates selected at that stage, and the committee’s planned effort to identify two people for interviews.

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.