Stephen Bates was an American law enforcement officer who served as sheriff and police chief of the city of Vergennes, Vermont, for 25 years between 1879 and 1907. He was the first Black chief law enforcement officer in Vermont and the only one for 140 years, until 2020. Additionally, Bates was almost certainly the first Black sheriff elected outside the Reconstruction-era South.

Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, United States. The municipality is bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Panton, and Waltham. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,553. It is the smallest of Vermont's 10 cities in terms of population, though the city of Winooski has the smallest area. It was the first city chartered in the state of Vermont and is the only city in Addison County.