City of Aurora issued the following announcement on July 23.
Actions Underway to Review and Change Policy
To all who have reached out to us with their vital and valid concerns, we want you to know that our city leaders hear you. We know that changes are necessary, and those changes must involve the voices of our community. To make that happen, a number of initiatives are underway.
Independent Review of Elijah McClain Case
Prompted by the members of the city's Public Safety, Courts & Civil Service Policy Committee—Council Members Allison Hiltz, Curtis Gardner and Angela Lawson—the City Manager is working with members of the Aurora City Council and Mayor Mike Coffman to initiate a new independent, external investigation of the actions of our police, firefighters and paramedics in the Elijah McClain case.
The Aurora City Council unanimously approved a resolution July 20 to open this independent investigation. The city is working on completing a contract with the lead consultant, Jonathan Smith, who is executive director of the Washington Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. Prior to his government services, Smith was the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, the Public Justice Center in Baltimore and the D.C. Prisoners' Legal Services Project.
Additional use of force and medical experts have been identified to round out the review panel, and recommendations will be reviewed by and voted on by the City Council soon. This process also will connect Smith with the State Attorney General to help finalize the scope of Smith's work for Aurora and ensure the Aurora independent investigation is complementary to and not duplicative of the Attorney General's work.
The external investigation will thoroughly examine the actions of Aurora police, firefighters and paramedics in the case, with both local and national input from people with backgrounds including civil rights, the criminal justice system and emergency medical assistance. The report will evaluate all actions against applicable laws, best practices, national policing and emergency response standards, making any recommendations they deem fit.
Together we all want to achieve meaningful improvements, eliminate racial inequity and make lives better in our community. This review–and ultimately its findings—is a critical step toward these goals.
Original source can be found here.
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