Eight years ago, my husband Terry and I co-founded Aurora Youth for Success, a three-week summer program providing educational and career opportunities for students attending Aurora and Cherry Creek public schools. Since 2009, 800 students have passed through the program, representing every high school in Aurora and developing skills in engineering, cosmetology, automotive, graphic design, culinary, and even 3D printing.
AY4S hosts a speaker every day at lunch, generally from a business or organization in Colorado to discuss career and collegiate options. Last month, AY4S was privileged enough to host Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz, Division Chief Vanessa Wilson, Arapahoe County Sheriff Dave Walcher, Arapahoe County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, Arapahoe County Prosecutor Monique Washington, and Aurora police officers C. J. Renaud and Tim Jeffery. Given recent tragedies, I am extremely grateful these officers and prosecutors took the time to develop an open dialogue and build relationships with the 102 students currently attending AY4S. What I found most comforting was the warm, receptive and blunt conversation these students had with the officers about the need for police reform and community engagement. Furthermore, I could not be more grateful for the officers’ patience in educating myself and the students on the difficult challenges police officers and prosecutors are charged with on an hourly basis.
Aurora law enforcement stands out from other agencies across the country because of the initiatives the department has undertaken to build relationships with the diverse communities of Aurora. Aurora’s law enforcement is head and shoulders above the national standard in valuing positive community relationships and continuing police reforms. In a national climate where the topic of police reform is imbued with blame and hate, I am deeply grateful to represent the best community and best law enforcement officers in the state of Colorado.
NANCY TODD is a Democratic state Senator representing Colorado Senate District 28, which includes a large
section of central and eastern Aurora.