Aurora Congressperson Jason Crow and others shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) 
APD Chief Vanessa Wilson PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, Donald Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
AURORA | Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson has said she does not plan to heed a request by Rep. Jason Crow asking her to investigate whether any local officers were at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 as throngs of extremists flooded the halls of Congress.
Crow wrote to Wilson and several other local law enforcement leaders last week asking them to poll officers and deputies to determine if any personnel traveled to Washington D.C. earlier this month.
A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department said Wilson will not conduct any such audit.
“At this time there are no plans by Chief Wilson to conduct a department wide review as requested by the Congressman,” Officer Crystal McCoy wrote in an email. “Chief Wilson has no information or evidence to suggest that any members of the APD were involved in any such acts that day.”
If any Aurora police personnel are discovered to have engaged in illegal behavior in Washington D.C., Wilson has asked the FBI to notify her, according to McCoy. Any officers found to have violated a department rule or state or federal law would then be investigated.
Marc Sears, president of the department’s primary bargaining union, said he, too, had no indication any Aurora personnel attended the riots in Washington D.C. earlier this month.
Sears said it is the prerogative of any individual officer to travel where they desire in their off time, as long as they adhere to state and federal laws.
“I would tell my members that it’s not the business of anyone in this police department what they do in their off time as long as they’re being legal,” he said. “As long as they’re not breaking any laws they can go anywhere they want to go.”
Crow met with Wilson Jan. 12, according to a spokesperson for his office.
“I have spoken to and look forward to working with our district police chiefs and sheriffs in the days and weeks ahead to address the terror threat faced by our country,” Crow said in a statement.
The Democratic congressman made national headlines in the days after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S.Capitol after a bevy of media outlets posted photos of him consoling another congresswomen in the House chamber.
Representatives from three sheriff’s offices that cover jurisdictions abutting Aurora in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties also said they have no indication any deputies participated in the ransacking of the nation’s Capitol.
Spokespeople for the trio of sheriff’s offices said last week there is no indication any demonstrations will be held in the municipalities and unincorporated areas they patrol. Representatives said they are in communication with other state and federal agencies leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Wednesday.
McCoy said Aurora police are also in touch with other agencies and will endeavor to balance safety and First Amendment protections at any demonstrations in the city.
“The Aurora Police Department respects and upholds the constitutional rights of our community including the right to express and exercise free speech,” McCoy wrote in an email. “We will continue to balance these rights with the protection of property, safety and life. We appreciate the community’s partnership in this regard and encourage everyone to remain peaceful and civil, in they chose to practice these rights in Aurora.”
Exactly. Just because you might have been in DC during the break-in, that doesn’t mean you were involved in the break-in and smoked weed in Crazy Nancy’s office. The cancel culture is going to be eliminated, one way or another.
true. no sense in going looking. if anyone was there it will come to light. I sorta doubt any of our officers were there anyhow.
If you were there for the demonstration, that means that you had already bought the big lie. Not breaking any free assembly laws, but how about the oath they took as law enforcement officers? Trained in weapons and tactics, and belonging to paramilitary organizations makes them worth a look. As we’ve seen in Iraq and Afghanistan, the enemy within can be unlooked for and deadly.
What portion of the ‘oath they took’ are you referring to? Curious if it says you’re not allowed to peacefully assemble to protest something you believe in.
As point of reference, Mayor Hancock took an oath when he was sworn in as Mayor –
I [NAME], DO [SELECT SWEAR OR AFFIRM] THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO, AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF COLORADO, AND WILL FAITHFULLY PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF [NAME OF OFFICE OR POSITION] UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
Yet he selectively enforces Colorado laws and emergency orders, depending on the situation. The riots and looting by thugs along with curfews that were not enforced shows his true colors.
Are they not asking because it is against the law? Making sure that people in positions of power don’t have ties to hate groups and militias seems like a pretty big deal, and a fair thing to ask for.
Regarding the statement “…don’t have ties to hate groups and militias” exactly where do draw the line without trampling anyone’s free speech or right of assembly? Yes, our democracy is thoroughly screwed up but that is no reason to strip away anyone’s civil rights.
I could also make the same argument “Anyone one with ties to Harvey Weinstein should be be removed from Congress…”
Using your logic, I can also make the argument that that anyone who participated in the largely peaceful BLM protests should be thoroughly investigated by the FBI and fired from their jobs because a few protesters chose to riot and destroy property.
Jason Crow should know better.
Yes, officers have the right to free speech, and to travel, but:
– Doesn’t attending a white supremacist rally indicate that an officer is not committed to protecting all Aurorans and that the OFFICER may pose a direct safety threat to many Aurorans? At what point might the officer’s right to free speech (and more importantly, the beliefs that fuel their speech) take precedence over the rights of someone they’re oath-bound to serve and protect?
– Isn’t is reasonable for officers to be held to a higher standard than any random law-abiding person? After all, they occupy a position of trust, in ways that may have life-or-death consequences.
– The Aurora Police already has serious community trust problems. This “don’t ask about January 6” isn’t going to help.
The department won’t know if they have problems if they shy away from asking uncomfortable questions.
Thank’s Sentinel clan for what it’s worth. Mr. P. Weaver