Aurora Police Department Outlines Policies Amid Calls For Reform

AURORA, IL — After two weeks of local and nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism — and growing calls to defund police — the Aurora Police Department released a summary of its policies, including how officers are trained and when they can use force.

Protesters have demonstrated outside the Aurora Police Department on multiple occasions in the past two weeks, first on May 31 after the death of George Floyd and again on June 3 after police arrested Aurora resident Jabari Walker at his home and charged him with two misdemeanors before officials stepped in and dropped them. Residents have also organized smaller protests throughout the city to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

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The police department posted a gallery of photos Wednesday on Facebook, titled “Where We Stand: A Comprehensive Look at the Aurora Police Department.”

“Right now is a pivotal moment in our history. In light of the current nationwide discussion on police department policies, we wanted to share our department's current philosophy and policies,” the post reads.

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The Aurora Police Department’s use-of-force policy bans officers from using chokeholds and officers are “trained to apply force only as a last resort,” according to the policies released Wednesday.

Officers are required each year to complete 48 hours of training, spread across six sessions, to instill de-escalation tactics as “part of the culture” at the department, the post reads.

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The department said it uses software called “Blue Team” to track all incidents involving Aurora police officers using force, and officers are required to report any time they use force. Officers must also document any “show of force,” such as when an officer removes their gun from its holster, the policy states.

All police use-of-force incidents are reviewed by the department’s Office of Professional Standards, according to the policy. The department’s software “automatically flags officers that have multiple complaints and multiple instances of use of force for further investigation,” the post states.

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The policy also states officers have a “duty to intercede” if they see other officers using unreasonable force.

Aurora police officers, supported by Kane County Sheriff’s deputies and local police departments, fired tear gas at protesters in downtown Aurora on May 31. Police Chief Kristen Ziman has said officers responded after being targeted by bottles and bricks, adding police vehicles were shot at and lit on fire that night.

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At least 21 people were arrested in connection with the protest in downtown Aurora, and 11 are facing felony charges.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin announced Tuesday he will conduct reviews of the Aurora Police Department's use-of-force and training policies in response to weeks of protests throughout the nation calling for police reform. Irvin also called for the city's police officers to wear body cameras starting next year as part of his four-part CHANGE Reform Initiative.

Irvin also said the city will begin researching how to set up a civilian review board, a body composed of citizen representatives that is charged with investigating complaints about misconduct by police officers.

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In its Facebook post, the Aurora Police Department said it will soon schedule “listening sessions” to hear from the community.

“APD has made significant changes in the past 10 years to become one of the most progressive police departments in the state. But, we can always do better and we need the community’s help,” the post reads.

The Aurora Police Department did not immediately respond Wednesday to Patch’s request for information about Office of Professional Standards reviews of use-of-force incidents during the May 31 protest in Aurora.