City of Aurora issued the following announcement on Sept. 18.
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.
City Undertakes Comprehensive Review of Police Operations
City Manager Jim Twombly and Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson announced Aug. 11 that they will be undertaking a comprehensive review of the Aurora Police Department. 21CP Solutions, a global firm of experts in the areas of civil rights and public safety, will join the city in pursuit of the common goal of a new vision of public safety that works for everyone.
The scope of this work will include the department’s leadership structure; elevating the role of community policing and engagement; assessing current policies and practices with respect to use of force, discriminatory policing and bias-free policing practices; officer misconduct and accountability; stops, searches and arrests; recruitment, hiring and retention; interaction with vulnerable populations; and crisis intervention and interactions with individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges.
Twombly emphasized, “We must serve the Aurora community in a way that recognizes and honors our diversity. That requires us taking a hard look at how we do things in order to build an agency that the community trusts. These changes are of the utmost urgency to the city, and most importantly, the community.”
Wilson said, “We embrace this opportunity for change and are committed to evolve for the betterment of our profession, our community and the residents we serve. Law enforcement is being evaluated across the nation and we want to ensure that our entire community feels that APD is an agency that shows dignity and respect and can be a role model for 21st Century policing. We will strive daily to regain the trust in our community. I believe this review, along with actionable policy and training changes, is a good first step.”
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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