Aurora – City leaders have been calling for community feedback about how the city and police are managed.
They can expect an earful tonight from folks like Kimberly Francois, who plans to attend the city’s first community issues forum.
The gathering with the mayor and interim police chief is designed to give residents a chance to speak directly to officials about their problems with city government.
Francois seeks justice for her 21-year-old son, who lost his left leg two months ago when a Jeep slammed into him on an Aurora roadway.
The driver of the Jeep got a $125 ticket and a 4-point penalty assessment for careless driving involving bodily injury – a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Francois believes officers failed to check the other driver for alcohol or drugs. “My son’s life has been changed forever,” she said. “And she walked away with a ticket.”
Interim Police Chief Terry Jones said he understands the mother’s grief. He met with her for more than an hour last week to explain his department’s position.
“There is no evidence that would lead us to believe or support a felony charge,” he said. “Unfortunately, this happens routinely on our state’s roads. People are killed by poor driving. (Careless driving) is the charge. If alcohol is involved, it’s a felony.”
Tonight, Francois will tell her story again, this time in a public forum. The meeting comes at a time when Aurora, and particularly its Police Department, has become focus of much criticism.
“The whole purpose of the meeting is to listen, to listen to what people think, to hear what their issues are and to see what we can do to address them,” said Mayor Ed Tauer.
The Aurora Police Department has been criticized for failing to arrest child rapist Brent J. Brents in November after he allegedly told Aurora police he molested an 8-year-old boy.
Brents was released and subsequently eluded police for months. During that time, police say he raped and assaulted up to a dozen women and children in and around Denver.
The department also has been criticized for incidents involving African- Americans, including a case in which officers used a Taser on a black man in a children’s restaurant and a case in which a white man shot a black couple, but wasn’t arrested.
Tonight’s meeting will be the first time the community at-large can discuss the issues directly with city leaders.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Francois, who is from New Jersey but is on leave to help care for her disabled son. “I hope something will come about from it. I hope it’s not just a lot of talk.”
City leaders acknowledge that Aurora is battling an image problem and must improve communication.
“The community is working off rumor and innuendo,” Jones said. “If there are things that need to be repaired or that need further explanation, we will do that. We will offer some explanation in why we arrive at some of the decisions we make – give them facts about the cases.”
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer can be reached at jpmeyer@denverpost.com or 303-820- 1175.
Questions for Aurora
The Aurora Public Community Issues Forum will be held from 6 to 8 tonight at the Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway. For more information, contact Barbara Shannon-Banister, 303-739-7580.
