There could be good news on the horizon for Aurora taxpayers with the inevitable new sheriff in Adams County.
Aurora has been at odds with that county’s current sheriff, Doug Darr, over how many jail beds this city and others are allotted, or not allotted as the case may be. Cities like Aurora that run their own misdemeanor court systems, can send convicts to jail just like judges do in district and county courts.
The ability to imprison convicts was so important to Aurora lawmakers several years ago that they changed the structure of the courts and city laws so that local judges weighed in on problems such as domestic violence and assault. It was a big change, which led to local judges sending huge percentages of domestic violence convicts to jail. County courts at the time had a habit of letting them out, or holding them for just a few hours. City officials were able to show that keeping abusive spouses in jail for at least a few days reduced repeat offenses. Since then, local judges have looked long and hard at the criminal history of those who come before the courts, selectively sending many repeat offenders or especially malicious criminals to jail. One example of how effective this can be is in regards to car theft. Whereas most local courts and even county courts treat car theft as if it were nothing more than shoplifting, Aurora judges have been quick to send even first-time thieves to jail. The result, police say, is that Aurora has fewer car thefts than neighboring jurisdictions. By dismissing those convicted in city courts as scofflaws and jaywalkers, Adams County undermines Aurora’s criminal justice system, and there isn’t one thing the city can do about it.
But for the past few years, Darr has limited the number of prison beds for Aurora and other municipalities because his department hasn’t had the money to properly staff the jail. In Darr’s defense, the budget problem was handed to him by commissioners and a serious recession.
But Aurora is spending upwards of $150,000 a year to buy bed space at other metro-area jails.
Both the Republican and Democratic candidates looking to replace the term-limited Darr say they’ll end the jail-cap if elected. City lawmakers and local voters all across Adams County now need to press Republican Michael McIntosh and Democrat Rick Reigenborn for details of how they would end the cap. It’s important not only to Aurora, but to other Adams County municipalities that also have jail-bed space capped.
While it serves as good news that Aurora will finally be able to end this unnecessary expense, it won’t be good news unless it really
happens.