AURORA | Aurora City Council member Danielle Jurinsky publicly denounced the city’s interim police chief Monday for what she described as a failure to help crime victims, demanding city leadership cooperate in pushing the chief and four other cops out of the department.
“These five officers do not belong in this department,” Jurinsky said toward the end of the May 6 council meeting. “They are a threat to this city — to victims, and probably to suspects as well, but certainly to victims.”
Jurinsky did not explain why she is seeking the resignations of Aurora Police Department interim chief Heather Morris, Investigations Division chief Mark Hildebrand and officers Tim Meehan, Brian O’Dell and Seth Robertson, beyond blaming the poor treatment of victims on police leadership.
A few weeks earlier, the lawmaker announced in a social media post that she had been the victim of a recent domestic violence incident. A criminal complaint associated with the incident states it was handled by Aurora police.
On May 7, city spokesman Ryan Luby released a statement on behalf of the administration of the city and police department, saying Jurinsky’s comments “might be related to a domestic situation and an investigation that remains active and ongoing.”
“We are very limited in what we can provide at this time,” Luby said, referencing the fact that the affidavit in the case is not publicly available.
“Interim Chief Heather R. Morris extends her deepest compassion and empathy to all crime victims,” Luby added. “It is the role of a police officer to pursue the justice and safety they deserve, and she appreciates officers’ work in this matter.”
When a Sentinel reporter approached Jurinsky after Monday’s meeting to ask about her comments, she said, “I’ve got nothing for you,” and walked away. During the meeting, she said that she is planning a news conference and a lawsuit but did not say when.
Jurinsky also accused City Manager Jason Batchelor of “direct incompetence” for the fact that he oversaw the department at the time the alleged conduct by police took place.
She alluded to “someone waiting just around the corner to come out” if Batchelor did not act on her concerns and warned him that, as long as the five officers remain employed by the department, she was “not going to let this issue go.”
“I’m only going to get louder,” she said while addressing Batchelor. “You will not ignore the situation. You will deal with the situation.”
As city manager, Batchelor alone has the power to dismiss the chief of police.
Jurinsky is an influential voice within the council’s conservative majority, sponsoring many of its signature criminal justice policies and chairing the council’s public safety policy committee. She has been vocal in her support for Aurora police officers and on Monday told rank-and-file police officers that she would “always stand with you.”
She also has a history of clashing publicly with the leadership of the police department. In January 2022, Jurinsky called then-chief Vanessa Wilson “trash” on a talk radio show and said she had asked Wilson to replace the deputy chief. Wilson was fired a few months later.
The ex-chief has since sued the city for wrongful termination, accusing Jurinsky and other council conservatives of pressuring former city manager Jim Twombly to oust her as punishment for holding police officers accountable for misconduct.
The lawsuit does not offer details of the alleged conspiracy to fire Wilson, and city officials have repeatedly said the decision was not the result of political pressure but instead a response to Wilson struggling to manage the department and rebuild officer morale.
Morris is the third consecutive police chief to have been appointed on an interim basis since Wilson’s removal from the permanent chief position.
The city has released limited information about the timeline for selecting a long-term leader of its police department, with Batchelor saying in April that a choice will be made “in the next several months.”
The real threat to the city is a lawmaker who threatens peace officers and leadership when they don’t bow down to them we elect our leaders based on democracy not a king and queen hierarchy get your head out your butt and focus on real city business not the MTV drama that surrounds you. We need better leadership.
she needs to resign or be recalled. She’s an embarressment to the city.
Agree, if she doesn’t resign she should be re called by we the people.
A bit early for that without knowing any of the details. In fact, it’s ignorant to make such a call. It may be warranted once the details emerge, but as of now, those details aren’t known.
It’s ignorant of her to make such demands without an explanation.
I agree
Danielle Jurinsky is a strong leader with high ethics and morals. She is not afraid to tell the truth and will stand for what she believes is right despite the opposition. As she stated, she stands with the rank and file in the police department and will fight to get them the kind of leaders they deserve in the department. The current chief is but an extension of the last chief who left, as he brought her into the department.
She’s using her political position for a personal domestic violence matter. When you toady up to people who do this, you make the rest of us conservatives look bad. Danielle is a RINO looking to stir the pot and upset that these officers didn’t do her bidding. If it were a Lib who did this you would be outraged, but since she is on your team….
Hold your own accountable if you are interested in maintaining credibility.
I give minimal credibility to comments made by people who are afraid to use their own name.
I don’t expect the integrity of accountability from those who don’t hold their own accountable either. My name is Kieth Harris, it’s on my profile.
with you 100% she’s an incompetent loudmouth and I said that the first time I had discourse with her
Present your information or stay quiet until you are ready to provide the information to the public. Empty barrels make the most noise!
She’s an incompetent verified everytime she opens her mouth. She never has a thing to back up her rants….just rhetoric! She only wants those who support her nobody else….her way or the highway. I hope Chief Wilson includes her in her lawsuite and gets a 100 million dollar judgement against her .
This is embarrassing, as her facebook post makes it obvious this is a personal issue, and that the ‘victims’ that are treated so horribly is herself in whatever domestic dispute she had. She’s obviously using her position to enforce personal grievance.
doesn’t surprise me she’s involved in a domestic dispute. Not at all.
jurinsky is a clear nut job!!
Consider the source – Jurinsky – that’s all we need to know. She should be fired, if only that were possible.
Mz Jurinsky has always been a bossy, mean spirited rightwung Hack. Her, Coffman, and the rest of the conservative players on tge council constantly twist and break the rules and protocols of city government for their own selfish survival. Good riddence to you all!
😆 🤣 😂
Unfortunately sir, we have another 3 years of their ridiculousness….even then there are those who support them without any reason whatsoever except they are just angry people.
Fire those cops. Fire her too. Aurora leadership has shown nothing but cowardice and pandering. We need leaders who work for the people, and who treat the people as people (rather than criminals [code for the lower class]).
We need to relegalize human existence. From the persistent hateful and murderous behavior of *ALL* Aurora Police, to the unconstitutional and hateful treatment of the homeless by every single council member.
I don’t think it was a good idea to make a public call like this without providing details. To make such a call, the conduct would have to be pretty outrageous. We now need to hear the details.
I find it irresponsible to make the allegations she has without immediately backing up her allegations. BTW, if she is looking for incompetence she need look no further than the City Attorney’s Office who advises both the Police Department and the City Manager. They are guided not by the law but by the expedience of supporting the perceived most influential on Council.
It will be interesting to see whether the domestic violence matter is moved to Arapahoe County. Imagine being a Judge or a Prosecutor who does not obtain Ms. jurinsky’s version of justice, whatever that may be. They would instantly be on her enemies list of incompetents. She is a female version of Nixon or Trump. Volitile be her name.
City Manager Batchelor is a decent and capable guy trying his best to do a hard job. He did not deserve the Pearl Harbor equivalent of a public flogging. If something horrific happened to Ms. Jurinsky that deserves empathy, but that being said she owed Mr. Batchelor the chance to have a one on one private meeting without ripping him apart in front of we Aurora residents.
Wow, every time I think our city council can’t become more of a mockery of our political system they prove me wrong.
It won’t matter though. She’s a Republican in the most conservative Ward in the city and Democrats refuse to care about municipal elections in Aurora.
This kinda of antics was normalized the instant they supported her last time she did this stuff. At the rate we’re going she’s likely to be our next mayor rather than ever be held accountable.
“{An unspecified allegation”….
“We are very limited in what we can provide at this time,” Luby said, referencing the fact that the affidavit in the case is not publicly available.”
So far this story is so butchered up no one can come to a accurate conclusion. Although some sure try as their perverse anger shows toward this gritty politician.
It’s becoming more and more apparent that the only real threat to the people and the city of Aurora is Danielle Jurinsky herself. She has already been the sole cause of one police chief being fired and now she’s working on another, complaining that she is not being treated properly. I guess she doesn’t realize that our city government is not intended to revolve around exclusively serving her personal needs. There are many other people out there (the unhoused, seniors, immigrants, etc.) who also need the city’s help and attention. Jurinsky is the Lauren Boebert of Aurora. Ms. Jurinsky, please take your whining, your dumb ideas and your personal drama and go elsewhere. Enough is enough.
Threatening violence against the city manager from the dias is appalling and should be taken seriously. This lady needs to be removed from leadership. Unfortunately, the city council and mayor lack leadership. The Aurora gov’t has become a s*show!
Isn’t this the person that wants to get rid of DV prosecutions because she hates a defense service? Sounds like she’s the one that doesn’t gaf about victims unless she’s the victim.