AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department has updated its pursuit policy, adding to the list of circumstances where an officer is allowed to chase suspects on roadways.
The revised pursuit policy, which took effect March 5, authorizes a pursuit when:
- A suspect has committed or is committing a felony and there is a "serious risk to public safety if they are not immediately apprehended"
- A suspect has committed or is committing a crime involving a firearm that also "poses a serious threat of harm to the public"
- A suspect is driving under the influence
- The car in question has been confirmed stolen
Using their discretion, officers must end a pursuit if they "reasonably believe" there is danger to the officers involved, the suspect, passengers in the car, or the public. That danger can outweigh the "need for immediate apprehension."
In a statement, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain highlighted auto theft, which is a felony offense, as a reason for the change.
"Over the past several years, the Aurora Police Department has not engaged in pursuits of stolen vehicles, despite auto theft being a felony offense. This has created a reality where offenders believe they can victimize our community with no consequence, simply fleeing from law enforcement to avoid accountability," he said.
Chamberlain went on to say, "This broader policy does not mean that officers engage in reckless chases, but rather a measured and responsible approach to stopping those who exploit gaps in enforcement."
- Read Chief Chamberlain's full statement below
"As the Chief of Police, my primary responsibility is ensuring the safety of the Aurora community while upholding the rights of residents not to be victimized by crime. Over the past several years, the Aurora Police Department has not engaged in pursuits of stolen vehicles, despite auto theft being a felony offense. This has created a reality where offenders believe they can victimize our community with no consequence, simply fleeing from law enforcement to avoid accountability.
This is unacceptable. Public safety demands a balanced approach; one that allows officers to exercise discretion in holding offenders accountable while always considering the risks associated with vehicle pursuits. Under our new policy, officers will have greater ability to pursue stolen vehicles, reinforcing that crime will not be tolerated in Aurora. This broader policy does not mean that officers engage in reckless chases, but rather a measured and responsible approach to stopping those who exploit gaps in enforcement.
This agency remains committed to prioritizing public safety in every decision we make. Pursuits will be conducted in a manner that weighs the risk to the community against the necessity of apprehending criminals who threaten our residents. Aurora is not a place where offenders can operate without fear of consequence. We will not allow crime to dictate the safety of our city, and we will continue to take decisive action to protect those who live, work and visit here."
A consent decree was established in Aurora in November 2021 following several incidents involving Aurora PD and Aurora Fire Rescue, including the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. The purpose of the consent decree is to reform the two departments after the Colorado Attorney General’s Office found violations of state and federal laws due to racially biased policing and use of force.
IntegrAssure was named the consent decree monitor in February 2022, which assists with new policies and training to ensure different mandates are met.
Jeff Schlanger, the independent consent decree monitor, flew into Denver on Monday evening ahead of their monthly stakeholder meeting. The policy change was discussed with Schlanger before its implementation, so it did not come as a surprise.
"It is really within the city's purview to implement it," Schlanger said. "The important thing is to strike the right balance and to make sure that everyone is safe in a pursuit and the pursuits are terminated if conditions become unsafe."
Schlanger said the major concern with police pursuits is that someone gets hurt or killed as a result. That fear applies to the suspect, the officers, and the public.
IntegrAssure already watches every APD pursuit through body-worn camera footage and reviews the reports conducted by supervisors after the pursuit.
"We expect that pursuits, the number of pursuits, may increase. So, it will be an added load on us, but that's something that we do and will be doing," Schlanger said. "We'll be watching."
According to Schlanger, APD does not have dashboard cameras installed in all of their patrol vehicles. He said all officers are equipped with body-worn cameras, but those do not provide an "adequate view" of a pursuit in progress.
"Dash cams were actually in vogue before body cams were in vogue. And then, when body cams came around, a lot of departments did away with their dash cams. And now there's a movement back to having both dash cams and body cams, and they work very well in tandem to give a much more wholesome picture of what's going on," Schlanger explained.
Schlanger will be making a recommendation to APD to outfit all patrol cars with dashboard cameras in order to assist in their reviews of different pursuits.
"The department has made a decision that broadening the scope of allowable pursuits is something that they feel is important, but they've also committed to making sure that there is proper training so that officers know that they are charged with terminating pursuits if they get dangerous, and the same kind of training for supervisors as well," said Schlanger.
Denver7 sat down with Chief Chamberlain on Tuesday to discuss the changes to the department's pursuit policy. Hear from him in this story.
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