BCAT News

Last year there was definitely something missing in the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas in Burlington – the normal holiday traffic.

However, with many people vaccinated and stores back to regular hours after the shutdown, Burlington’s streets are filling up again though perhaps not to the pre-pandemic levels.

“We’ve certainly seen an increase in volume in and around the mall and the shopping plazas,” Burlington Police Sergeant Gerry McDonough said, but added it’s not as intense as in prior years. “One of the byproducts of COVID-19 is people feeling more comfortable using online shopping so we probably have less than pre-COVID but still much more than last year.”

As an example he pointed to the line at Best Buy on Black Friday. He said normally by the time the store opens at 5 a.m. there is a line around the building. This year, however, he estimated there were at most half a dozen people waiting for the doors to open.

Sgt. McDonough said police are increasing patrols and traffic mitigation efforts.

“It’s still early in the holiday shopping season so we do have a number of officers out during the peak times to assist with traffic,” he said.

The Burlington Police will also be out with the goal of keeping people safe. Sgt. McDonough said they received an annual grant to do OUR and drunk driving enforcement through the holiday season. They also have extra patrols at the Burlington Mall and other stores to prevent theft and shoplifting.

Finally, Sgt. McDonough said officers have noticed that drivers have been showing less patience on the roads, perhaps a result of stress from the pandemic, and asked that everyone remember the spirit of the season.

“I’m hoping that the holiday spirit extends to motorists as they’re driving around,” he said. “There will be some traffic and as frustrating as it is, the good part is people are coming here to dine and shop and the economic activity is a positive thing. There’s going to be volume, parking won’t be as readily available so a little more patience and a little more holiday spirit might go a long way to getting us back together.”