Vermont deputy police chief resigns after she admitted to running 2 fake social media accounts

A deputy police chief in Burlington, Vermont, resigned Monday after she admitted to running two fake social media accounts where she criticized both citizens and city officials.

Deputy Police Chief Jan Wright’s resignation will take effect February 21, according to a separation agreement between her and the department. She has worked with the department for over 18 years and has nearly 34 years in the profession, according to a Burlington police news release.

Wright admitted in December, after she was promoted to acting police chief, that she ran the fake accounts. This followed the resignation of her predecessor, Brandon del Pozo, who lied to a reporter about running a fake Twitter account, the release said.

The two accounts Wright ran went by the names of Lori Spicer and Abby Sykes, according to a human resources letter. On one undated occasion, it was found that Wright (via Lori Spicer) said a citizen was “obsessed” with del Pozo. In another post (via Abby Sykes) on June 4, she criticizes two city councilors as being “inappropriate and careless” in a case involving a police officer accused of murder, according to the HR letter.

“As a member of the BPD command staff, DC Wright exercised poor judgment in deciding to post these derogatory comments, potentially impacting both the Police Department’s and the City’s credibility with the public and undermining the public trust,” the letter read.

Write said in January she accepted full responsibility for her posts and use of social media. She was originally placed on administrative leave and was supposed to be return to restricted duty, pending social media training and other city stipulations.

“I am sorry for the impact it has had on the Department, its members and the City. I am deeply embarrassed by my behavior,” Wright wrote via the news release.

It is unclear what motivated Wright to officially resign after being taken off administrative leave.