The city of Aurora is asking voters to tweak the city charter this election in an effort to given new police officers and firefighters more training.
Deemed ballot question 3J, the proposed charter amendment would change the probationary period for newly hired police officers and firefighters. Currently, cops and firefighters in the city are considered to have a probationary employment status for one year, starting the moment they officially get hired. If approved, the ballot question would start the clock on probationary employment once a recruit completes the required training academy with the police or fire department.
Increased training requirements for police officers and firefighters has resulted in rushed academies and insufficient time for officials to train on-assignment by themselves, according to city documents.
While the measure would have no public financial impact, it would grant cops and fire officials more time to observe recruits before officially appointing them to department positions.
Cops and firefighters begin earning a salary upon being hired and starting the training academy. Irrespective of probationary status, they receive a raise after being employed for a full year, according to city staff.
Probationary status allows fire and police officials to determine if a recruit is a proper fit for the respective departments. After the probationary period is over, it becomes much more difficult to fire employees, as there are several procedural safeguards that work to prevent haphazard dismissals, according to city documents. Under probationary status, recruits can be fired for a number of reasons, including “unsatisfactory performance,” according to police documents. The department chief has final say over who gets fired during the probationary period. After the probationary period has ended, employees can appeal firings to the city’s Civil Service Commission.
Currently, new police recruits spend about six months at the police academy, three months in field training and three months under evaluation while working on their own. If voters approve the change, officers would get an extra three months of solo training in the field, while still being regularly evaluated, according to police documents. Lateral hires, or recruits that come in with some level of prior law enforcement experience, will also be subject to the policy change, although their training requirements are slightly less than those for true rookies.
Initially drafted as a measure only for the city’s police officers, Aurora Fire Chief Fernando Gray quickly piggybacked onto the measure after he was hired into his role last June.
Aurora Police officials initially approached Aurora City Council with the idea for the charter amendment more than two years ago, but council voted to table — or indefinitely postpone — the measure by a vote of 6-5. The subject was broached again at a council workshop this March, and wove its way through the committee process throughout the spring. Council members eventually agreed to put the measure on the ballot this summer.