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Residents demand firing of APD chief and stronger civilian oversight at Aurora City Council
Summary
Dozens of public speakers urged Aurora's City Council to hold the Aurora Police Department accountable, citing court-ordered video, alleged violations of department directives, and calls to remove Police Chief Todd Chamberlain and create stronger civilian oversight.
Dozens of residents used the public-comment period at Aurora City Council's Feb. 9 meeting to press elected leaders on police accountability, calling for firings, independent oversight and faster disclosure of officer recordings.
Anna Harris, who said she was the partner of Corey Dillard, told the council she read the Aurora Police Department manual page‑by‑page and identified "11 directives that were broken" in Dillard's case; she asked the council to set and enforce a clear threshold for consequences when written directives are violated. "If 11 broken directives do not trigger consequence, then the threshold is either unclear or nonexistent," Harris said.
Several speakers referenced a June 9, 2025 Arapahoe County District Court order directing the department to release unedited body‑worn footage in a separate case, noting the order as a legal obligation and urging the city to ensure compliance. One speaker said the court order named departmental custodians and argued that responsibility extends to Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, City Manager Jason Batchelor and the city attorney to ensure release.
Cassandra Heil, representing the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee, called the council's independent oversight process "controlled opposition" and asked the council to instruct the city manager to fire Chief Chamberlain or to do so itself if necessary. "You have the power to end it. Fire Todd Chamberlain, and then give us real community control of the police through a CPAC initiative," Heil said.
Other speakers recounted witnessing officer‑involved shootings, described alleged delays or exclusions of community witnesses from investigations, and urged the council to move beyond resolutions toward enforceable civilian authority and transparency. Demands included an empowered civilian police accountability council that could subpoena officers and require independent investigations.
Council members did not take policy action during the meeting. Several council members and the mayor acknowledged the public's calls and said independent‑oversight discussions are ongoing; the council also noted that the independent monitor from Fort Worth will visit Feb. 24 as part of continuing oversight conversations. The meeting record shows extensive community concern but no immediate change to the chief's employment status.
Next steps: the council's ongoing oversight work and the scheduled monitor visit were highlighted as forthcoming opportunities for further public input and potential policy recommendations.
