Aurora passes proposal to bring back reserve police officers after 18 years without a program
After 18 years, the City of Aurora will, once again, have a reserve police program. This comes after the original program was abolished in 2005.
Aurora City Council approved the ordinance to bring back reserve police during itss regular meeting on Monday night after it was first proposed back in July. The proposal to bring back the program passed 8-2.
Reserve police officers will be armed and have all the protections and authority of a full-time police officer when they are on duty and with a full-time officer, but they will also need to go through the same hiring and background investigation process APD lateral recruits do and need to be certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board following six weeks of training.
Per the city's ordinance: Reserve Police Officers appointed under this Section are voluntary and unpaid while serving solely in the role of a Reserve Police Officer. No person appointed by the Police Chief to the position of a Reserve Police Officer shall be considered an employee of the City as a full-time police officer for any purpose, nor shall such person be entitled to any compensation, sick leave, longevity pay, annual leave, compensatory time benefits, or any other paid benefit afforded to regular full-time paid police officers for service as a Reserve Police Officer.
Paramedics and doctors working as SWAT medics are expected to greatly benefit from the implementation of a reserve program. Aurora Interim Police Chief Art Acevedo previously told CBS news Colorado this will make their jobs safer.
Councilwomen Alison Coombs and Crystal Murillo were the no votes in the proposal that ultimately passed. During discussion, Murillo told council and staff she continues not to support this program, saying, "There is deep mistrust with the police department and community, especially in Ward 1. We can't forget Elijah McClain. We can't forget what's happened."
Murillo expressed she was hopeful to see positive changes from cultural shifts in the police department, but did not feel enough time had taken place for her to support an effort to bring reserve police into the city.
In response to Murillo's concerns, Chief Acevedo emphasized the experience that reserve officers generally have.
"I think you end up having a more mature, experienced individual that ends up coming in the door," Acevedo said. "So I am hopeful that will show that these are really good candidates that we have coming forward. Hopefully, you will be pleased with the results in the future."
There is no immediate date for a police reserve program to begin with now that the ordinance has been approved.
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