Aurora police have a lot on their plate, including rising crime

• The five-year agreement comes in the wake of a state investigation that determined the police department routinely exerted excessive force and showed a pattern of racial bias.

Details: The requirements outlined in the consent decree include improving use-of-force training to prevent "unnecessarily escalating encounters" with civilians and diversifying the police and fire workforces to "better reflect the city's diversity," Attorney General Phil Weiser said at a briefing.

• Aurora's elected officials are now required to hire an independent monitor to keep tabs on the police and fire departments' progress toward achieving the agreed-upon conditions.

Yes, but: The police are preoccupied amid a crime spike and a high-profile mass shooting this week.

• Violent crime is hitting record highs in Aurora. Just one day before the announcement, a drive-by shooting left six high school students injured — causing the police chief to declare youth violence a public health crisis. Numerous other shootings and murders have occurred within the past month.
• Aurora police remained embroiled in controversy. The police union held a "no confidence" vote in police chief Vanessa Wilson, who says she’s committed to reform. And multiple officers are being suspended, fired or even arrested for excessive force this year.

• What’s more, the police department also faces a severe staffing shortage.

What they’re saying: "I need you to believe in this agency," Wilson told community members Tuesday. "We’re not going to shy away from reform."

The bottom line: Aurora Police remain in the spotlight more than two years after McClain’s death, and questions about whether the city’s officers can rebuild community trust while keeping people safe remain unanswered.