AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department's modified pursuit policy, which allows its officers to engage in chases when they believe a driver is under the influence or in a stolen vehicle, will keep the community safer, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain told Denver7 on Tuesday.
Denver7 first reported on the updated policy on Monday, and on Tuesday, we had the opportunity to sit down with the police chief to learn more about the new policy.
"As chief of police, my primary role and my primary goal is community safety," he said.
Chief Chamberlain said choosing to modify the pursuit policy wasn't a choice he made lightly. Instead, it was one that forced him to look at multiple factors within the department.
"I looked at the pursuit policy and basically what we realized is that our community was being victimized, and that victimization came in the form of their vehicles being stolen," the chief said. "In the form of their opportunity for transportation being taken away. The opportunity to take their kids to and from school was taken away."
"What we found, and what I found, is that there was very little, if anything, that law enforcement was doing in regards to that," Chief Chamberlain added.
- The revised pursuit policy, which took effect March 5, is embedded below.
The chief told Denver7 that since 2019, more than 27,000 vehicles have been stolen in Aurora. He's hoping the pursuit policy change, which would allow Aurora officers to engage in a chase with someone in a stolen vehicle, helps that number from growing.
"When I looked at those numbers, when I looked at those things that I talked about to you, I think you can see that a stolen car impacts much more than just property. It impacts people's lives. It impacts their livelihood. It impacts their safety," he said. "I think again, when you look at this modification, I didn't go into it lightheartedly. I looked at legal counsel, I talked with our leadership team, I looked at best practices throughout the nation and all of these things led me back to the realization that, hey, based on the number of incidences, based upon the crime activity, based upon what's occurring in this city, there is a reason for this modification to the policy."
Stacey Hervey, affiliate professor at MSU's department of criminal justice and criminology, told Denver7 that modifying a pursuit policy takes lots of consideration.
"I think it has to just be done with public safety, first and foremost," Hervey said. "There's a balance between public safety, safety to the public in pursuits, and then also keeping the public safe from crime. I think it's a balancing act, for sure, with the department."
Hervey also told Denver7 it can be tough for police officers to decide when to engage in a pursuit, and when to disengage.
"I do think there has to be a balance of safety, but officers and the public are at risk when there's a pursuit, so we need to keep that in mind as well, and there's a lot of things that go into it," she said. "What's the time of day? What was the offense committed? And do we really need to chase them? Do we not know who those people are to apprehend later?"
"There's just so many different factors that need to be looked at when a department is developing a pursuit policy," she added.
For Chief Chamberlain, keeping the law-abiding citizens of Aurora safe, and cutting down on crime, is a priority.
"I hope it changes these carjackings. I hope it changes the violent crime that goes with it. I hope it changes the connected crime that happens when someone steals a car and then they say, 'Hey, let's go out and victimize somebody else. Let's go rob somebody else. Let's go steal somebody's house,'" he said. "I hope it changes all those things."
- Listen to our full interview with Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain in the video below, where he further explains the department's new pursuit policy.