Former Hinesburg Police Chief Anthony Cambridge has recently come under scrutiny for his actions leading up to his departure from the department. As detailed in internal communications, Cambridge’s decision to delete police security footage and shred documents has raised concerns among town and police officials.
A closer look at the timeline of events reveals that Cambridge announced his resignation in early January, citing his new role as the chief of the neighboring Richmond Police Department. For the past two years, Cambridge had been serving as the police chief for both Hinesburg and Richmond under an inter-municipal agreement. This agreement involved Richmond paying Hinesburg an annual fee for contracted police services.
In the days following his resignation announcement, town and police officials began voicing their concerns about Cambridge’s behavior through a series of emails, letters, and text messages obtained by VTDigger. An email exchange on January 26 between Frank Bryan, a Hinesburg police officer now serving as interim police chief, and Town Manager Todd Odit revealed that Cambridge had deleted four days’ worth of security footage from the department headquarters on January 22, just a day before his departure. Furthermore, a review of the system log showed that Cambridge had altered the retention time on the camera system late that night.
In addition to deleting security footage, Cambridge was also observed shredding documents in his office. Bryan noted in an email to Odit that Cambridge had been disposing of a significant amount of paperwork before leaving. Cambridge defended his actions, stating that he shredded documents containing personal information about community members and did so openly in the presence of other officers.
Cambridge’s departure was originally scheduled for February 18, but it was later postponed to March 4. Richmond Town Manager Josh Arneson mentioned that this delay was a mutual decision between Cambridge and the town, with the reason attributed to “personnel matters.” When asked about the rescheduling, Cambridge stated that he and the town had decided to push it forward without offering further details.
Originally from New Jersey, Cambridge joined the Hinesburg police department in 2013 and was appointed as chief in 2019. His decision to accept the position of Richmond police chief marked a significant shift in the town’s law enforcement structure, with Hinesburg contracting police chief services from Richmond moving forward.
As discussions surrounding Cambridge’s actions intensified, it became evident that his departure was marred by unsettling events within the department. Emails and texts exchanged between Odit and Hinesburg police officers, like Brett Flansbug, raised red flags about Cambridge’s behavior. Flansbug expressed concerns about Cambridge’s seemingly uncanny knowledge of private conversations and activities within the department, suggesting a lack of privacy and transparency.
Further complications arose with reports of changes in the police headquarters, including a mysterious hole in the armory’s ceiling and the installation of surveillance devices connected to Cambridge’s personal phone. Odit’s decision to disconnect all Ring and Amazon cameras in the building highlighted the growing unease among officers regarding potential privacy violations.
Cambridge’s swift exit and the subsequent revelations about his conduct have sparked debates about his effectiveness as a police chief. While Cambridge maintains that he passed a rigorous background check with Richmond and his personnel file contains no negative remarks, concerns linger regarding the events leading to his departure. The ongoing scrutiny of Cambridge’s actions underscores the complex nature of law enforcement leadership and accountability.
