Be safe. Stay Strong.
July 2, 2020 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 3
Aurora’s next police chief Continued from page 2
agreed and also emphasized the need for citizen involvement including recruiting at community events. Moore suggested recruiting from local universities and having minorities recruit minorities, women recruit women, etc. Jones said that in Baltimore they have a cadet program that is very successful. Describing their vision for APD during their first six months as chief, Jones said he would focus on risk management, noting that Aurora has paid out $5 million in lawsuits in the past three years for use of force, illegal stops, and bias. He said, “If we can predict those things, we can prevent them. We should have policies consistent with (newly passed) Senate Bill 217.” Dudley said citizens want APD to review and examine its use of force policies and that should be done. He also said he would develop a strategic plan that “we can all get on board with and meets the needs of the community.” Moore would “look at how officers are deployed,” and make sure policies are “current and reflect best practices for use of force, vehicle chases, and foot chases.” He would also look at the use of technology in the department because it allows “intelligent policing.” Wilson said, “I hit the ground running six months ago. We had a loss of trust issue. I started dealing with the Nate Meier (officer who was drunk on duty) incident so it was clear to all that no one is above the law. I made that change immediately. In the Elijah McClain case, the body cams came off and that is not OK. We bought the best body-cam retention system available and made it mandatory that every officer wears them. I have already employed a de-escalation technique as outlined in SB217.” The candidates were asked what areas they would look toward if they were asked to cut the department’s budget, a realistic scenario given the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on city sales tax revenues. Dudley said the cut would have to come from personnel, since it comprises 87 percent of APD’s budget. Jones felt that training was priority one and should not be cut. He recommended that “we talk about whether officers should be responding to mental health calls.” Moore went further, saying “I don’t think officers need to respond to medical calls, animal control, or homelessness. It’s not illegal to be homeless. If that’s defunding the police. I think it’s OK and it makes sense. Sometimes the presence of police raises the temperature of the situation.”
lion shortfall, but we don’t want to go backwards. We have developed a co-responder process where we go out with a therapist and the safety net is available. Unless we’re going to have mental health people on duty 24/7, at 2:00 am when someone is suicidal or an autistic child is having an emergency, it will be us until we know someone is available. In my cuts, I suggested we This is a family photo of Elijah McClain, 23 at the time of his death last summer. delay academy” (for new trainees), noting support Wilson said that as current instaff was essential to sworn terim chief, she had “already personnel. been asked to prepare 3, 5, The two-hour town hall and 10 percent budget cuts. was recorded and can be We are looking at a $45 mil-
Colonel Alexander D. Jones is a 25-year veteran and second in command of the Baltimore County, MD Police Dept. He holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT and an M.S. in criminal justice from Ashworth College in Norcross, GA.
viewed in full on auroratv. org. The city has been getting community input through multiple sources. A final recommendation will be made by the city manager in July
Avery L. Moore is a 29-year veteran and assistant police chief of the Dallas, TX Police Department, responsible for the investigations and tactical bureaus. He holds a B.A. in criminal justice from Cameron University in Oklahoma and a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix in Dallas.
which must be confirmed by a vote of the Aurora City Council. Fmiklin.villager@gmail. com
June 30 Primary Election Remember to submit your ballot by 7 p.m. on June 30! Bring it to one of our drop boxes, or vote in person at your designated polling place. We’ve put extensive health and safety practices in place, so visit GoVoteColorado.gov and ArapahoeVotes.com to get more info and determine your options.
Office Closure All Arapahoe County offices and facilities will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of Independence Day. Respect the Burn Ban — NO Fireworks Allowed Arapahoe County is currently in a Stage 1 Burn Ban, meaning no personal use of fireworks of any kind is permitted. Visit arapahoegov.com/1721/Sheriffs-Office
COVID-related assistance for residents and businesses Arapahoe County and its communities have received $114.5 million in federal funding to provide a wide variety of economic relief from the COVID public health crisis. Visit arapahoegov.com/arapahoecares
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