AURORA | An emergency resolution on Monday’s city council agenda would restrict public and media communications from the Aurora Police Department, including social media posts and press releases.
The resolution, brought by Councilmember Alison Coombs, would require police communications to be approved by the city communications department, as well as prohibit posting mugshots in most cases until the suspect is convicted.
It also restricts members of the police department from commenting in their official capacities on “official social media sites, media releases, or as a representative of the City on any pending or enacted city, state, or federal legislation,” unless with prior approval.
Coombs said past and recent public comments and social media posts prompted her concern, including a post about proposed legislation and past comments from police on suspects’ personal lives.
In a statement, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain on Monday said the resolution would unfairly silence his office over diverging viewpoints and hamper the office’s ability to do its job.
“We should be able to agree to disagree, but it increasingly appears that when information, perspectives, or facts do not align with the views of certain groups, the answer is to silence those voices rather than allow open and honest public discussion,” Chamberlain said. “And if I as a public safety leader cannot discuss or share concerns without reprisal from the local level, my department and I are unable to effectively be what Aurora needs — candid, forthright, and open about how our work impacts the daily lives of those we serve.”
Chamberlain said his office has been successful with its approach to transparency and direct communication, citing a drop in crime, including the city’s reduced homicide numbers, improving community trust surveys and significant compliance with the consent decree. He said his department “has been nothing but professional.”
Coombs strongly disagreed that the police department’s communications, and those of the chief, have been professional, saying she feels there have been several instances of police communications undermining public trust or inappropriately taking political or policy stances.
She said the chief’s public comments about the personal life and gender identity of Blaze Aleczander Balle-Mason as unnecessary and harmful. Balle-Mason was a 17-year-old who was shot and killed by police in September after they called 911 and claimed they planned to “shoot up” a gas station and responding officers in a suspected attempt to die by suicide by cop.
“That really created a lot of concern and fearfulness and perpetuated stereotypes about transgender and non-binary people,” she said.
Coombs said she felt it was necessary to take formal action through a resolution because the chief has “demonstrated that he’s uninterested and unwilling to be responsive” to requests that communications be professional and factual.
The “chief is free, as an individual, to comment on anything he wants to comment on, but he’s not free to use the city’s resources, the city’s name, the badge, the position in ways that undermine the community’s relationship with the city and the department,” Coombs said.
To respond to some concerns that the resolution would limit or delay critical information in a public safety incident, Coombs said she plans to offer amendments to the resolution to provide more flexibility during a threat or emergency situation, including allowing mugshots to be posted if necessary. Another planned amendment will remove the language requiring police communications to be approved by the city and clarify that police communications must follow existing city policies.
“I think (the resolution) will ensure that the police are providing factual and accurate information, not speculation or opinion, and transparency relies on facts and accuracy,” she said.
The resolution says the city desires consistency in communications on policy positions and notes that only city council, not other city employees, can take an official position on state or federal legislation.
Coombs pointed to a recent social media post from the Aurora Police Department that opposed legislation, SB26-190, which imposes new transparency requirements across the state on police in officer-involved shootings.
The bill, which is waiting for Gov. Jared Polis’ signature to become law, lays out a timeline for when police must share information with the families of people killed in officer-involved incidents, as well as expands who can get access to unedited body-worn cameras and audio recordings. It also prohibits police from making statements that may prejudice any litigation.
Sponsors of the bill said during hearings that some use-of-force cases arising from Aurora, including the deaths of Kilyn Lewis and Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, were linked to their carrying the bill.
The Aurora Police Department’s post, which is on X and Facebook, raises several concerns with the bill, saying it would prevent police from responding to misinformation and “takes us back to the days of saying no comment.”
“Police are no longer allowed to answer tough questions on scene or provide context to events – but anyone else in the community can,” the post says.
The post added that releasing unedited body-worn footage could negatively impact the privacy and dignity of the people and families involved. The post was not attributed to a specific author, though it quoted from an interview Chamberlain did with Fox 31 TV in Denver.
Colorado Democratic Senate President James Coleman said Monday he was surprised by the Aurora Police Department’s comments on the bill because he worked with law enforcement groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police, to craft the language in the legislation.
“I think the intent of that, which we came to an agreement on that language together, was that it would not jeopardize (police) statements and the body cam footage would not jeopardize the integrity of the criminal justice process, but it would also allow those families to have information that they may not have received weeks or months after their loved one life was lost,” Coleman said.
He said he stands by the legislation and is glad to have worked with both law enforcement groups and the families of people killed to promote more transparency.
Coombs said her intent with the resolution is to make sure police communications are transparent and accurate.
“We just want consistency, transparency, ensuring that professional standards and city policies are adhered to, and refraining from speculation and opinion,” Coombs said.