Aurora struggles with police oversight amid high-profile cases
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
A novel system to root out bad cops in Aurora failed for years to build public confidence and suffered from a power struggle.
Why it matters: Colorado's third-largest city is the state's poster child for renewed efforts to improve police accountability, given a series of high-profile deaths in custody and misconduct cases.
State of play: Aurora is one of the few Colorado cities with a civil service commission that oversees discipline of police and firefighters, the Sentinel writes as part of a new investigation led by the Colorado News Collaborative.
- For years, the commission was seen as a source of mistrust in the community because it allowed officers to keep their jobs even after the department took disciplinary actions.
- Led by city council members and empowered under the city charter, it also clashed with the state's consent decree to overhaul the Aurora Police Department.
Between the lines: A troubled new state database — which is managed by the agency that certifies law enforcement — lists at least 13 Aurora officers who are under investigation or received disciplinary action
- Five remain certified. And the status of three is listed as certified, even though they were decertified, the Sentinel found.
- Many other officers who were disciplined or faced investigations are not listed because the attorney general's office did not include actions taken prior to 2022, a point of major contention.
What to watch: The commission's membership has now shifted amid attempts to diversify the board and minimize the politics. Half the commissioners are people of color, and the attorney general's office — which is overseeing the consent decree — says public trust is improving.
Yes, but: Tensions remain after the commission's attorney was fired from the role, sparking new turf battles.
- And Aurora's police union continues to be skeptical of the group's new oversight role.