Aurora police outline staffing, redistricting and technology priorities for 2026
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Summary
Police leadership told the Public Safety Committee it will focus on sustaining consent-decree reforms, hiring and training to fill authorized positions, a Feb. 14 redistricting of patrol commands, and expanded use of analytics, license-plate readers and drones to reduce response burdens.
Chief Nick told the Aurora Public Safety Committee that the police department will emphasize sustaining consent-decree reforms, workforce stability and the ethical use of technology in 2026. He said the department is preparing a presentation on patrol redistricting that will take effect Feb. 14 and asked the committee for guidance on other topics they want covered this year.
The department reported current staffing shortfalls and recruitment plans. "We are authorized for 748 (sworn) and right now we are at 712," the chief said, and added the civilian workforce is below authorization (authorized 216, current 205). He said academy graduates take about a year to reach full field duty, which pushes full staffing nearer to 2027.
The chief credited technology with measurable operational benefits. He said the real‑time information center (a staffed analytics/watch function) recorded 4,220 year‑to‑date activations and handled hundreds of incidents that otherwise would have required patrol responses. "Those are the things that have been the absolute hugest impact" on reducing calls officers must answer, he said. He also highlighted automated license‑plate reader (Flock) matches, drone responses and analytics that the department uses to locate stolen vehicles, warrant matches and missing persons.
On accountability, the chief asked the committee to review the department’s work on use‑of‑force oversight, internal affairs, early intervention and a newly formed Office of Constitutional Policing focused on policy, training and supervision. He said independent monitoring and reporting will be coordinated with the city manager and that the department will make materials available to the committee.
Committee members asked for a focused February briefing on the new district map and beats two days before the changes begin. The chief agreed. The committee also asked that staff provide ongoing recruitment and attrition data to show progress toward authorized staffing levels.
The committee did not take formal action on police staffing or technology during the meeting; the presentation was informational and staff will return with scheduled briefings and requested metrics.
