AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Aurora has chosen finalists in its search for a new police chief, and the public is asked to weigh in.
Scott Ebner is a retired lieutenant colonel and deputy superintendent of administration for New Jersey State Police. David Franklin is the chief of staff for the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico.
The city chose and announced three finalists on Wednesday, but one of them decided to withdraw, the city said later in the afternoon. Another finalist could be considered.
Community members are invited to submit questions for the finalists by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25. Questions can be submitted in English and in Spanish.
The questions will be asked of each finalist in taped interviews that will be published on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Then, the public is invited to a meet-and-greet with the finalists from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Aurora Municipal Center lobby.
After the interviews, the public is asked to submit comments here.
Aurora police chief finalist schedule
The finalists are set to make the rounds in Aurora next week for an in-person selection process, according to the city. Here’s the schedule:
- Sept. 26: Tour Aurora Police Department sites and meet with sworn and civilian APD employees
- Sept. 27: Meet with cultural and faith-based community partners and city business partners, conduct taped interviews, and attend a community meet-and-greet open to the public
- Sept. 28: Interview with the Mayor and members of Aurora City Council in small groups, followed by a rotation of interviews with the city’s executive management team and department directors.
Ultimately, the city manager will hire a police chief and get approval from a majority of the Aurora City Council. The decision is expected by the end of October.
Former Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates returned to serve as the department’s interim leader after Chief Vanessa Wilson was fired in April.