Aurora officials have begun the process of creating a police oversight body, exploring similar offices in cities like Denver and Fort Worth, Texas, to understand, they said, what works and what doesn’t.
Five years ago, the City Council approved funding for the creation of the police oversight office but held off while a consent decree between the city and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office moved forward so as not to have two such bodies simultaneously, according to officials.
Supporters of creating the oversight body said independent police oversight is necessary because it protects human rights, promotes constitutional policing, increases public confidence and trust in police, ensures greater accountability, and enhances risk management…