Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson Terminated From Role

Following a years-long period of turmoil with Aurora Police front-and-center, donning national headlines and sparking debate around the broader conversations around the country surrounding police brutality and police treatment of Black Americans, Aurora Police Department Chief Vanessa Wilson has been ushered out of her position.

Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly sent Wilson a termination letter last week and confirmed the department’s decision to “search for new leadership” is effective immediately. Division Chief Chris Juul will temporarily oversee APD operations.

“It is clear that Chief Wilson has prioritized community involvement,” Twombly says. “However, the police chief also needs to effectively manage the operations of the department, effectively engage with staff, build morale, and validate employee feedback. To provide the level of public safety that our community deserves, a change in leadership must occur.”

During a press conference addressing the firing, Twombly expanded that the decision came down to two main concerns in overall management and leadership of the department, though he declined to elaborate further. Twombly added that attrition at the department was also a factor, that he had talked with other Aurora officers, and that he reviewed Wilson’s record himself.

The city management team will immediately work to name a new interim chief over the next two to three weeks, and the city will begin a nationwide search for a permanent chief of police for Aurora, looking to name a new chief in the next six months.

Wilson’s legal counsel, King and Greisen, responded, saying her firing was “without cause” and part of an effort for conservative city council members to diminish Wilson’s credibility.

“These council members have made it clear that they did not support Chief Wilson’s efforts to implement the Court order to reform the police department and eradicate the systemic racism found by the Colorado Attorney General in the wake of the death of Elijah McClain,” a statement from Wilson’s attorneys says.

Her counsel also claims the city of Aurora and city council have “engaged in a conspiracy to leak misinformation to the media” and the responsibility for the department’s “long-standing” problems is being wrongly placed on Wilson.

“In reality, Chief Wilson made numerous attempts to have good-faith discussions with the City leadership about these issues and repeatedly sought the resources necessary to resolve them from the City Council. City leadership refused these efforts, preferring instead to smear the reputation of a dedicated police officer who has served the Aurora Police Department for over two decades and courageously agreed to take the helm in one of the City’s most difficult times to bring needed reforms,” the statement reads.

Wilson herself also provided a statement through her attorneys, expressing her gratitude and plans to continue working in law enforcement. On Monday, she spoke out for the first time since losing her job.

“I can only go with what the city manager claimed that he fired me for, which was ‘overall leadership and overall management,'” Wilson said. “To that I say, ‘Sir, you are very wrong.'”

When explaining why she would not leave her position voluntary, as reports of her impending departure circulated, Wilson called her firing politically motivated.

“I have to stand up for myself,” she says. “I wasn’t going to go quietly into the night. I wasn’t going to just accept a resignation and walk away when I know what this is driven by. This is a political agenda, and there should not be partisan politics in public safety.”

Wilson also left open the possibility that she will sue the city for her firing, saying,”I am exploring all options.”

Many anticipated the news for weeks, as local media reported that Wilson was planning on leaving the department. That same week, the release of an independent report revealed a backlog of more than 2,500 criminal investigations still awaiting processing by the records department, which a consulting firm hired by the city called a “high-liability matter.”

Aurora spokesperson Ryan Luby says, as of April 4, the backlog was down to 1,252 pending reports, though Twombly says Wilson was “not fired because of the records problem.”

“It really comes down to a lack of confidence on my part for her to be able to lead the department,” he says.

City Council member Alison Coombs tells Denver7 she feels Wilson’s firing “sends the wrong message.”

“The message that it sends is that it’s time to stop our focus on reform, stop our focus on accountability, and change to a tough-on-crime posture. And it send the message that those two things are mutually exclusive,” Coombs says. “It also sends the message that those council members and police union leaders that have been attacking the chief and trying to undermine her credibility are in charge, that whatever city council and city management wants can be directed by folks that, in my opinion, are often bad actors.”

Colorado democrats from Aurora also issued a statement saying Wilson’s firing will “set back critical and long-overdue efforts” that are underway in the department.

“Her firing in the middle of these efforts sends a terrible message to the police force and to the community about Aurora’s commitment to reforming these practices,” the statement says. “We commend Chief Wilson for her steadfast commitment to making our communities safer and rebuilding our community’s trust in our city’s police department.”

Twombly says that the decision will have an impact on the city’s ability to fulfill the terms of the consent decree, which came after a 14-month investigation noting APD’s use of excessive force and racially biased police practices. Though, he adds that the city has already begun implementing changes as part of their “New Way” plan.

Photo courtesy of Aurora Police Department