Aurora Police Union President Officer Doug Wilkinson Fired After Investigation Into Email Mocking Diversity Initiatives In The Department
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The president of the Aurora Police Association, Officer Doug Wilkinson, has been fired from the Aurora Police Department. This comes after an investigation in which Wilkinson was found to have violated the "City of Aurora's Anti-Harassment Policy and the Aurora Police Department's Directive regarding Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Harassment."
This comes after Wilkinson was placed on administrative leave in November 2021 after he sent out a scathing email to his 240 members calling diversity provisions in a "consent decree" between Aurora and the Colorado Attorney General "sexist and racist."
According to the email, obtained by CBS4, the union president wrote, "To match the 'diversity' of 'the community' we could make sure to hire 10% illegal aliens, 50% weed smokers, 10% crackheads, and a few child molesters and murderers to round it out. You know, so we can make the department look like the 'community.'"
On Thursday afternoon, Aurora Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson terminated the employment of Wilkinson. He was hired in 2002.
Wilkinson's email in November 2021 was prompted by an agreement announced on Nov. 16 setting up reforms for the Aurora police and fire departments. The consent decree followed a lengthy state investigation that found a pattern of racist policing and excessive use of force. The agreement, which is expected to run for about 5 years, calls for updated hiring practices so the police and fire departments better reflect the city's racial makeup.
Wilkinson's email blasted the agreement, but especially provisions for diversity in hiring and promotions within the police department.
