Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates came to the city in 2005 in a time of unrest.
The police department had botched an arrest of a man who went on to rape and assault several people. Members of the minority community were at odds with the department for, among other things, the death of a black man who was shot in the back by cops in an attempted prostitution and drug sting.
Today, tensions with the minority community have subsided, and the department is lauded publicly for its response to the Aurora theater shooting.
Oates’ eight-plus years with the department is coming to an end soon, as he is expected to be hired by the Miami Beach, Fla., police department to be its next police chief.
But whoever Aurora hires to replace Oates will have a new set of issues to deal with. Among them are the ongoing battle with Adams County over the county jail capping the number of inmates from Aurora and the start of recreational marijuana sales Oct. 1.
“From the standpoint of the top guy moving on, it presents a challenge,” Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said Wednesday of the pending pot sales. “But practically speaking, we still have everyone else in the department who have been assisting us all along. I’m confident we’ll get it done.”
Hogan said discussions on hiring a new police chief could happen as early as Monday, when the City Council has a regularly scheduled meeting. The man tasked with finding a new chief is Aurora City Manager Skip Noe, with confirmation coming from the City Council.
Aurora will conduct a national search for Oates’ replacement. Deputy Chief Terry Jones, who served as interim chief before Oates was hired, is one potential candidate to take the helm temporarily until a permanent chief is named.
“That is my guess,” Hogan said. “Terry was the interim the last time.”
City officials said they aren’t surprised that Oates, 59, is leaving. He has been a finalist for several police chief jobs in the past, and Oates has seen numerous achievements in his days as police chief.
Oates, through a spokesman, declined to comment.
Police spokesman Sgt. Chris Amsler said Oates feels it is inappropriate to comment until his appointment as Miami Beach police chief is official. That could come as soon as Wednesday, Amsler said.
Aurora City Councilwoman Renie Peterson said the biggest issue facing the new police chief is improving morale among the rank-and-file officers, which she described as low.
“I think this will be an exciting time for us to bring in a new breath of fresh air,” Peterson said. “This gives us the opportunity to bring someone in that is going to bring up the morale of the department.”
Noe said a new police chief likely would not be hired in time for the October rollout of recreational marijuana shops. It could take six to eight months before a new chief is hired, he said.
There will be about a three- to four-week transition from Oates to the interim chief, Noe said.
“This is a significant addition to our community, and we want to make sure we take the time to hire the right person,” he said.
City Councilman Bob LeGare praised the chief, saying he handled difficult situations with professionalism, including the response and investigation into the Aurora theater shooting in July 2012.
“For a chief to be here close to nine years, I think he’s done a phenomenal job,” LeGare said. “That’s the mark of a good chief. What I’ve seen is that he’s a top cop, just like the headlines say he is.”
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp
