Assistant Majority Leader Fields, Senator Buckner Statement on Aurora Police Chief Finalists

Senators: “The Aurora Police Department needs a strong leader who can build trust and engage with everyone in our community. We are deeply discouraged that city leadership continues to ignore the voices of the Black community and has refused to ensure a fair and transparent process for all candidates who applied for the position.”

AURORA, CO - Colorado Senate Assistant Majority Leader Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and Senator Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, today released the following statement regarding Aurora’s search for its next Chief of Police:

“Good policing is critical to keeping communities safe, but it is built on trust, and we are deeply concerned that the process for determining the current finalists to serve as Aurora’s next Police Chief was not based on transparency or trust. Black community leaders, including lawmakers such as ourselves, have been excluded throughout the entire search process without the ability to provide adequate input while decisions were made behind closed doors, and it is unclear how these individuals emerged as the finalists. Hiring a Police Chief is a complex process that requires open and honest dialogue with the entire community. This process has been unnecessarily rushed and challenging for the public to access, and the decision not to pursue genuine engagement - especially with communities of color - has led to a disappointing lack of diversity among the finalists for the position. The Aurora Police Department needs a strong leader who can build trust and engage with everyone in our community. We are deeply discouraged that city leadership continues to ignore the voices of the Black community and has refused to ensure a fair and transparent process for all candidates who applied for the position.”