City Council will meet with management at 3:30 p.m. Monday for a executive session not open to the public to discuss “personnel matters/negotiations,” according to the meeting agenda published Friday. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The agenda lists the item of business as “approval of the Appointment of _______ as the Chief of Police.”. After year of controversy, who should lead the Aurora Police Department? Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman was born and raised on the west side of Aurora. The city manager appointed Wilson — a longtime officer who has served as interim chief since Jan. 1 — to take the chief position permanently and City Council approved the appointment nearly unanimously. She studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of Missouri. Whomever the city manager chooses to step into the role will take over a department recently thrust into the national spotlight for the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain at the hands of three of its officers all while navigating a national conversation about the future of policing. https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/08/03/aurora-police-chief-arrest-video A debate is raging inside Young Life as the Colorado-based ministry faces backlash over LGBTQ policy, Colorado grocery workers worry as Thanksgiving shoppers crowd stores, Guest commentary: A concerned public needs more information on reasons for COVID restrictions, Denver Health retaliated against those who spoke out about systemic racism and COVID-19, whistleblower complaint alleges, Marcus Dudley Jr., an Aurora police commander who leads the department’s internal affairs bureau, Alexander Jones, a colonel and bureau chief at the Baltimore County Police Department, Avery Moore, assistant police chief at the Dallas Police Department. “I am committed to leading the Aurora Police Department to be an active and engaged part of this community in building a collaborative and constructive path forward. Dallas PD Asst. The series of incidents has prompted the City Council to conduct a deep examination of the department’s policies and procedures. “They’re not going to win,” Sears said of the protesters. Why have models of Colorado’s coronavirus trajectory been off? The council and the mayor will then vote to approve the hire during the 7:30 p.m. council meeting. “They’re just here to cause commotion and be a thorn in our sides. “Given the inferno we’re in, it would be deaf to Aurora to pick someone who doesn’t know our history, our culture,” she said. “I don’t think the importance of police chiefs has been felt more than it has before. Meier did not face charges and kept his job, though Dudley was one of the high-ranking department leaders to recommend Meier be fired. Elise Schmelzer is the public safety reporter at The Denver Post and covers police, crime and criminal justice. Wilson said she couldn’t immediately explain the numbers, but that she’d look into them. The data offers credence to a lack of trust many people of color in the community have felt for years. Outgoing Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz knows too well the toll years of law enforcement work can exact on a person. Is your favorite color blue? One of the agency’s police unions agrees. Because he's losing them by the day. “The next chief is obviously not going to have an easy job before them because they’ll have a department that does need, in my opinion, a fair bit of housecleaning,” Councilman Juan Marcano said. Wilson joined the department in 1996 and rose through the ranks. Vanessa Wilson named Aurora’s new police chief…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window). When she's not writing, she disappears into the mountains to hike and fish. The controversies haven’t stopped since then, even as the city searched for a permanent chief to lead the department. She is a graduate of West Aurora High School and started as a Police Cadet at the Aurora Police Department in 1991. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The latter message is more common, he said. When Vanessa Wilson was appointed the interim chief of the Aurora Police Department in December, she didn’t shy from the fact that she was taking over after a string of negative incidents. Councilwoman Angela Lawson voted against the appointment and said she preferred the other internal candidate for the job. Have your rights ever been violated in court?,’ we’d all be on the line,” she said. Black people make up 16% of the city’s population. When Vanessa Wilson was appointed the interim chief of the Aurora Police Department in December, she didn’t shy from the fact that she was taking over after a … McClain’s death gained international attention in June during widespread protests of police brutality and put a national spotlight on the Aurora Police Department. She previously wrote for the Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming, the Washington Post and the Colorado Springs Gazette. Councilwoman Angela Lawson questioned Wilson over the numbers, which she said were “disturbing.”. The new chief will have to regain trust with community members, navigate discussions about defunding the agency, respond to city, state and federal investigations into the death of McClain, and work with a group trying to establish civilian oversight over the department. “I don’t think that we have the trust of anarchists. A spokesman for the city said the name of the candidate would not be announced before Monday. An analysis of all 2019 incidents in which Aurora police reported they used force shows that 47% of the people officers used force against were Black. (Courtesy of the City Of Aurora) AURORA, IL — For the second time this year, Aurora is … More than 25 people wrote in during the public comment section of Monday’s meeting to slam the department for these incidents and others. Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman is one of five finalists to lead the Nashville Police Department. She studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of Missouri. “What this country has done is put the burden on the police — no matter what the problem is we have to handle it,” Sears, the Aurora Fraternal Order of Police president, said. This is nationwide.”. He should be thankful Rockies fans still care. “We’re in the one of the biggest movements in history, ever probably, and the spotlight is on Aurora,” said Candice Bailey, a community organizer who sits on the Aurora Police Community Task Force. Morale is low in the department and an unprecedented number of officers are resigning or retiring, he said. The mayor and nine council members voted to approve the hire, though some expressed reservation in their support. Internally, the next chief also will have to deal with a crisis of morale and an increasing number of officers who are leaving the force, said Sgt. Elise Schmelzer is the public safety reporter at The Denver Post and covers police, crime and criminal justice. “Aurora is a city that has experienced many triumphs and tragedies, and we sit at a crossroads for our city’s future,” Wilson said in a statement. He also was involved in the investigation into Nate Meier, the Aurora officer found passed out drunk in his car while on duty. “The morale is horrible,” he said. Vanessa Wilson, the department’s interim chief Marcus Dudley Jr., an Aurora police commander who leads the department’s internal affairs bureau Alexander Jones, a colonel and bureau chief … “If we did one of those inside of our community and we asked, ‘Have you ever been assaulted by the police? “Can anyone, anywhere say they’re proud of the Aurora police department?” one commenter said. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. When she's not writing, she disappears into the mountains to hike and fish. Others say they have lost trust in the department and that the role of police in the community needs to be re-evaluated. We have to be therapists. “She’s had a trial by fire, ever since she became interim,” Councilwoman Marsha Berzins said. Jones, of Baltimore County, applied to be chief of Columbus, Ohio, in the fall of 2019 but was not selected. October 10, 2019 at 6:00 a.m. After year of controversy, who should lead the…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window). For several meetings, representatives have presented on topics such as use-of-force protocol, the internal affairs process and crowd-control techniques. Because he's losing them by the day. We will be a transparent partner dedicated to making Aurora a safer city for all, with respect for our diversity, an embrace of unity, and continual conversation about how we can do better.”. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Commander Marcus Dudley, with the Aurora Police Department, responds to a question during the June 23 virtual town hall with the four finalists to become Aurora's new police chief.