By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
It was a long night for Todd Chamberlain and the Aurora Police Department.
Oft the subject of news reports during the last year, The Edge at Lowry apartments were yet again the location of overnight police activity Tuesday, Dec. 17. This time, more than a dozen suspected Venezuelan gang members were arrested there in a home invasion. Two victims are hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries. Police are continuing to work toward identifying the suspects in custody, with their leader saying he wouldn’t sleep until they did.
“This is not an example that the city of Aurora is a gang-infested, drug-infested, crime-infested area,” said Chamberlain, Aurora’s new police chief. “There are definitely pockets that are problematic.”
He spent close to an hour Tuesday detailing the overnight stabbing, capture, taking, beating and terrorization of two persons, and the extent to which it might again be the work of Tren de Aragua gang activity, during a press conference.
Whether crime, drug and gang activity in Aurora has been overstated in broad brushstrokes is a discussion that has garnered much attention, from City Hall to places such as Twitter and traditional media.
In one regard, Chamberlain admits Aurora has a limited, but significant problem. In another, he doesn’t find it to be that different from other cities in America.
“We are aware of the problem, we are owning the problem, we are not shying away from the problem, and we are going to fix the problem,” said Chamberlain, perhaps offering the most genuine discussion of the concern since the summer. Back then, a roundtable was held including two members of City Council, U.S. representatives and candidates, and future border-czar Tom Homan, along with two residents. The mayor and the police chief at the time did not attend. It ultimately led to a visit by President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Chamberlain, at one point, appeared to reference that past in his comments.
“It is a problem,” he said. “It is a national problem because of the attention drawn to it, and the victimization that has been connected to it, and the political issue that has been connected to it.”
He points to areas of New York, Los Angeles and other cities where certain areas in a community are crime hotspots. He noted it can range from an area, to a street or just a building.
“[You] say this location has always been a problem. This low-income housing project, or this project here, or this particular street is one you don’t ever want to go down,” Chamberlain said.
Under his leadership, Aurora police have met with community members and have heard “the pain in their voices,” he said.
The community is seeking solutions, just like other communities. Some in Aurora have said they believe mass deportations could make a difference, although Chamberlain did not indicate if he would support such a plan.
“It is going to be done within the constitution of the United States,” he said. “It is going to be done within state laws and city laws, and it is going to be done ethically and morally.”
He then discussed at length the events of the past 24 hours.
“It upsets me that somebody was hurt,” Chamberlain said. “It upsets me that someone couldn’t walk out into their parking structure without being taken and accosted, abused and beaten. Something is seriously wrong, and we’re going to try and fix it as best we can.”
From the rank and file of the police department to Chamberlain, all members of the department “don’t like to see people get victimized,” he said, adding, “We all want to serve.”
He’s hopeful policing and community involvement can create change for Aurora.
“I hope you see an area that is safe for the families and safe for the children,” he said. “A place that they feel comfortable in.”