[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6607733,"mediaKeyId","2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4","parentId",2948229,"title","911 accreditation, firefighter health screenings and new EV fire policy highlighted in public-safety update","audioSeconds",106,"startMs",2344000,"endMs",2450000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4&start=2344&end=2450","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4/thumbnail_2344000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6607733/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/911-accreditation-firefighter-health-screenings-and-new-EV-fire-policy-highlighted-in-public-safety-update","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607733-9a7916ecdb75f55d78fc3ade4e432080/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163618&Signature=Fzp0UEHo2HN56laxr6pqYiSRcPyK7P4aYKW-AwAett63uLUOoW177dtSlEIyd~h1-8I6DqfdLPa2cYcxiJmLhIU8p5cQ43nPFm1Xa03NHbjHDMvtShEbJ7WYvXfXxzLmY4hgdqFFHKUO~dudoKAS~jd0F9L9F1XHEChYpus2nlOM9bdrSS0309Lda5NHmMFG-W-HDhDjmcbFeJfSIWu2cb7Vwpjqw-Pfk8m-HWfeUV3XqjY70m26Qyck9OwtxrVDDYuELJJHWTeAZ-1ENA2EWSDibeRePvJohAEoYvOrakIqxrb2qphWaMiwPciAardW9N9PtzEkPshJryTU0A5GwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Aurora City, CO","date","2025-04-10T17:30:22.797Z","article","A city emergency communications staff member told the council the department’s professional development team achieved national accreditation, making the department the 103rd organization in the nation and ninth in Colorado to earn the credential. Staff said the city will mark National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week with a proclamation and announced an academy class of eight new telecommunicators starting April 21 that will push staffing to allocation levels.

Separately, a fire department representative said the department obtained a grant to provide free, enhanced cancer screenings for firefighters that include testing beyond standard physicals. The department is also distributing single‑layer turnout gear for certain non-structural incidents to reduce exposure to PFAS in traditional bunker gear and will continue to use full bunker gear for fire suppression.

The fire representative said Aurora plans to add an additional ALS unit (an advanced life-support rig) to improve cardiac-event response and will dynamically assign ALS resources on cold-weather calls or calls where initial information suggests higher acuity.

The fire department also described a new electric-vehicle (EV) fire policy and training. At one EV fire, staff said they limited water use to avoid contaminating local waterways and allowed a vehicle to burn rather than apply tens of thousands of gallons of water; the representative said that on that incident crews were on scene about four hours. The department said foam and blankets are limited in effectiveness for EV battery fires and noted those incidents can require specialized techniques and international technology under review.

Staff said responders who attended the EV incident had contaminated gear that required professional cleaning, and that the department is evaluating additional equipment and techniques for safer, more-effective EV fire response.

No formal votes were taken; the items were informational updates to the council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Safety, Courts & Civil Service Policy Committee - April 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Emergency communications earned national accreditation; the city will host National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week events, the fire department launched expanded cancer screenings and new electric-vehicle fire protocols and plans another ALS assignment to improve cardiac-event response.","taxTitle","Aurora City, Douglas County, Colorado","taxId",5767,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6607738,"Council approves renaming case management program to Court Services by ordinance",47,2258000,2305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4&start=2258&end=2305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4/thumbnail_2258000.jpg","/articles/6607738/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Council-approves-renaming-case-management-program-to-Court-Services-by-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607738-668cf56293a294d00ca0ebd2a86b043e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163618&Signature=VaLEiZWxKvMu~hibYuCi4U~yxM~HsLcNXAOmHZeeZZMe6dvtGaiMbuUeHeN3SG2TX9SYFr0Io4DOlxBDbRzHn0ZN8e2DkasN~IuoelT3EsC942gI3T-L56-x6-dDVhixj9xijVwYwncFVQ267s-zV-V8qgf2wZ-~2hRY-TnYFcytg1Q1Q2ODd41SELzC4CBtkB85xf9goBCxSjeJUgn3terEmCD48oXl-ipekVUBzik9euB99w8kzPTryhH-RMXIwzTgcRUBvFkR3AB-kH-vp2jH-VMVMyW8r-mb-c4GctRFak8QA7e0NKHQVchfhUYafXlFsAfcuCCI5FPSAmyYCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the council they will change the department name from a program-style title to \"Court Services\" for recruitment and clarity. Staff said the director has authority to change internal names but the change requires an ordinance because city code references the existing program name.

A staff member explained the rename is intended to improve recruitment and clarify that the office provides court-related services rather than general case management. The council offered no objections and moved the ordinance forward for follow-up as part of the city-code process.

The council did not record a roll-call vote during the brief discussion; the item proceeded with no objection.","City staff said the name change clarifies responsibilities and requires an ordinance because city code references the prior name; council raised no objections and moved the item forward.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6607743,"Council hears CRT updates and progress on Homeless Navigation Campus vouchers and sheltering",334,1761000,2095000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4&start=1761&end=2095","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4/thumbnail_1761000.jpg","/articles/6607743/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Council-hears-CRT-updates-and-progress-on-Homeless-Navigation-Campus-vouchers-and-sheltering","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607743-1f8735a8023f607dcecbf5843ac63f36/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163618&Signature=OImh1FYvMVbrA2YDmFKrO~QEWdmiQ8gA2M5x9VRa~Eo~SwQmBkfdFKv2qDcoiLD8YqY4LSIopMUCS4JW4wpWLAKsFgngMTYEn8khnQmTDAgcvZCa2XVlYFv5jVMjlYd1IAZ~f2bUhG2oYu3D-Yb3Qz0EcfEtB9Vzlh8-NuQK-CGYJ6LhMiZ6G2OPsi6c5r2eN7dRuk3bppHZORYDHtBSPcjpQnGcEyWK8klOBRilzRy71BMKLN30QFvEpsLB6aTBHgjzPfkEMou7ktVGU28F82Rhj30mV0CXN9F0A~HN7ElqNu43zTHPfgCjBKAo1WZYdO5cc9r0EUj9RQvlWDkmUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa, a representative for the city’s crisis-response team (CRT), briefed the council on recent CRT activity and hospital diversion successes. Lisa said UCHealth remains a key partner, the third CRT team is operational and the team has had several case-level successes including sustained work with high-frequency 911 callers and responses tied to overdose tracking.

Lisa and other staff described coordination between CRT, public safety and homelessness outreach. Staff reported approximately 60 overdose deaths in the city year-to-date and said they would bring recommendations to council in May on how to use opioid funds to address the problem.

On homelessness, staff said the city closed an emergency, nightly shelter at the Navigation Campus site for construction and is operating nightly shelter at the day resource center until the Navigation Campus opens, with an anticipated transition in October–November. Staff said the winter sheltering period averaged about 100–140 people a night and that the street outreach team reports about 99% of people engaged accept some services even if they do not immediately enter shelter.

Staff described state-linked housing vouchers associated with the Navigation Campus: the state provided 37 vouchers connected to the campus purchase, to be used for people who meet campus criteria. Staff said Advance (the Navigation Campus service partner) is operating the day resource center and has administrative offices on the campus; Advance will continue as the primary operator when the campus opens.

Staff also described limitations in the referral and housing timeline: it can take several months to move someone from street outreach to permanent housing. As an example, staff described a recent case where someone was matched to a voucher and sheltered in a hotel while awaiting a lease start but died before moving into housing; staff said that outcome underscores the fragility of the process.

Council asked clarifying questions, including how overdose deaths are counted when patients are taken to Aurora hospitals after incidents that occurred elsewhere; staff said they would follow up with the coroner and partners to clarify counting procedures.

No formal actions were recorded; staff said they will return with opioid-funding recommendations and further Navigation Campus updates.","Crisis response team (CRT) reported hospital-diversion successes; the Navigation Campus will consolidate day and night services later in 2025 and the city has 37 state-linked housing vouchers for the campus.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6607747,"Aurora police report staffing shortfalls, highlight Aurora Save progress and traffic enforcement gains",687,729000,1416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4&start=729&end=1416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4/thumbnail_729000.jpg","/articles/6607747/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Aurora-police-report-staffing-shortfalls-highlight-Aurora-Save-progress-and-traffic-enforcement-gains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607747-66eda005d6c73d422fb34f1ee0ef20ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163618&Signature=glvpX2sel68oolfmQkumCMWN8o36UqNMWV~7ksuMHB35OOqJ6U5ILMDP81Bljp5vfGBj4UH6gaa6AqE6zzMnEp7gf971X9TBKdLpIrwmMvUAWZcepN0IwdCEi2lgSv89dB~dltjGOZletwq-NJmLrwYc86YGrvhrb9Z5YfjOiduDthuvBpJgXs-2~pEEzCb8dl0JKid17yYkGk8YPfUiDVnEnqAR554~RyOmX4s7VquRZsYDJQ3nGciaOSdFD8Dfkx-aNBzrFTQ21c4RvsP~i6HwbSy-Om3WTPHNAGyfpDFopiXvHhHJ5NbKVu3f~WkXjeJZbTZlare~2PfPf50b1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Aurora police chief told the council the department is below authorized staffing but is taking steps to fill ranks and shift emphasis to patrol and traffic enforcement. The chief reported Aurora is \"still at 748 as far as overall staffing. Currently, we have 690 total. We have 58 vacancies. Operational staffing, we're at 591.\" He said a class of trainees is in field training and another incoming class will increase staffing later in 2025.

Council members and the chief discussed prioritizing new officers for patrol and traffic work. The chief said 37 officers are in field training and a group class currently sits at 44 recruits (initial class start 52). He asked that many of the new officers be assigned to patrol, and said the range staff will administer weapons qualifications going forward to centralize tracking.

The chief described downward trends in several crime measures while cautioning that short-term fluctuations exist: he said overall crime rates were \"down from 2.7%\" and later noted that month-to-date metrics for robbery and motor-vehicle theft were significantly lower. He also said recent homicide cases were cleared and that the department reported an increase in traffic citations, with year-to-date speeding citations reaching 1,914.

On Aurora Save — a city intervention the chief praised — the chief said the team was entering its sixth week without a fatal shooting involving juveniles and pushed back against a critical comment made at a previous council meeting. He described the program as \"incredible\" and said it has an active caseload: one speaker reported about 22 youth on caseloads working with Justice Works and partners, and about 33 youth had been contacted through the program over roughly a year and a half.

The chief described efforts to secure better participation from probation and justice-system partners. He said staff had met with local partners and planned additional meetings with judges and other stakeholders to pursue amendments to motions requiring attendance at Aurora Save meetings for individuals on probation.

On the topic of external funding, the chief and staff said the department received a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) award letter for approximately $1,900,000 but had not received final grant documents; staff said they were attempting to secure final grant agreements so the funding could be included in the 2025 and 2026 budgets.

Council members also asked about mobile radar contracts for traffic enforcement. The chief said two vendors are under review; one vendor was significantly more expensive and more personnel-intensive. He said the department was evaluating operational impacts and costs before choosing a vendor.

No formal votes were recorded for the items discussed; the conversation included requests to prioritize patrol staffing and to continue pursuing the BJA grant documentation.","Police presented staffing numbers, asked for patrol prioritization for new trainees, noted crime trends and described the Aurora Save intervention’s progress; a pending federal grant is still unsigned.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6607752,"City auditor finds gaps in Aurora Police firearms inventory and tracking",387,41000,428000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4&start=41&end=428","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2948229-2b427ad1509f6dbe549e87dfe864b1f4/thumbnail_41000.jpg","/articles/6607752/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/City-auditor-finds-gaps-in-Aurora-Police-firearms-inventory-and-tracking","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6607752-0b8db6c4dbc0e722f68c46e3b62623f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163618&Signature=Z0JwFlSVBVip-ggKFZI968mmHDT~XT~~34H~HvxL0plW-W~TpvueY9TBkS4v17UcV7eozFwVL0SY4v6Fn7hZuVawxujYYaqAWanY8l4WFclJifrH21dwfeXhIbZpEzcilxLp-mOBcoJQhTmtuXo3vybxhgOTPWVweKOcZkDv-ECtlLRgMKR8ethdSoKtLIMaBEaSCL-VzMXGVJ~-RtZxrN0cIdpDBwjXBvUuY5Vd2tKeXhAXHFFkYczc55nsHddnO5bIisFFPYLqmRJicPrQ8YBrpiN6QUdIKwWT2uFoV1bClJRwH-Nb00RkuL36qY-6QDNGy9kqOqJqw39EmB7bDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michelle Crawford, the Aurora city auditor, reported to the council that a 2025 police firearms inventory review found the department \"does not have adequate procedures in place to manage its inventory.\" The review concluded the department needs improved inventory records, better training tracking and formalized controls for trades and transfers.

The audit team conducted physical counts — including 100% of shotguns, rifles and 40-millimeter launchers and about 50% of assigned handguns — and identified multiple record errors and control weaknesses. Crawford said the auditors \"could not locate 1 less lethal shotgun,\" and recommended filing a police report; the department filed that report in November.

The auditors found the inventory system omitted items the department purchased: it \"did not include 7 rifles that were purchased in 2019\" and multiple 40-millimeter launchers purchased between 2021 and 2023. The system listed 45 shotguns as transferred to other agencies and 10 rifles as traded for credit, but support documentation was incomplete. Assignment data in the system was inaccurate for a substantial share of weapons: auditors reported assignment errors for about 22% of rifles, 35% of shotguns and 64% of 40-millimeter launchers.

On accountability and signatures, the review found high rates of missing receipt signatures: roughly 56% of handguns, 90% of shotguns and 70% of rifles reviewed lacked a documented signature. Crawford noted the handgun signature capture was not fully functional when it was rolled out, which likely contributed to that shortfall.

The audit also found noncompliance with weapons qualification policy for rifles and breaching shotguns. Crawford said qualification tracking improved in 2023 but remains difficult to search; auditors recommended centralizing responsibility for qualification tracking and clarifying policy that members who do not qualify must turn weapons in or be recertified.

The auditors reported that trades and transfers lacked consistent approvals and assessments of recipients, and the inventory system was not updated after transfers. They recommended the department adopt written procedures that require chief-level approval when trades occur and documentation of vendor and ATF records when applicable.

Crawford described problems with decentralization of inventory responsibility across units including SWAT, ERT, the range and districts, and recommended assigning a centralized unit to collect and review inventories. She also recommended the city explore replacement inventory software because the current system is \"very difficult to use\" and produced repeated data-quality issues.

The police department accepted all recommendations and reported it had begun implementing changes. The department said it updated inventory records, assigned a quality assurance unit to track firearms for the 2025 assessment calendar, centralized weapon purchases so the range is the sole receiver of new firearms, and is developing policies for trades and transfers. The department acknowledged ongoing work on an RFP for a new inventory system and said it corrected at least one access-control issue discovered during the audit.

The audit included sensitive security findings that the auditor declined to describe in public because of continuing vulnerabilities; she recommended the department work with city IT and facilities to address access control deficiencies.

The auditor said the department had completed a prior firearms audit in February 2017, and that additions since then — including department-purchased individually assigned handguns and 40-millimeter launchers — and a change in inventory systems contributed to current tracking gaps.

The city auditor’s report listed recommendations to (1) file reports for missing weapons, (2) update inventory records promptly, (3) centralize responsibility for inventories and qualification tracking, (4) require signatures on weapon receipts or recapture missing signatures, (5) create trade/transfer policy with chief-level approval and vendor/ATF documentation, and (6) evaluate a replacement inventory system.

The department told the council it had implemented or begun implementing many of those recommendations and would continue to work with the auditor on follow-up items.","A 2025 inventory review found missing and misrecorded weapons, incomplete training records and weak transfer controls; the department accepted recommendations and began some fixes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

911 accreditation, firefighter health screenings and new EV fire policy highlighted in public-safety update

Council approves renaming case management program to Court Services by ordinance

Council hears CRT updates and progress on Homeless Navigation Campus vouchers and sheltering

Aurora police report staffing shortfalls, highlight Aurora Save progress and traffic enforcement gains

City auditor finds gaps in Aurora Police firearms inventory and tracking