AURORA, Colo. — If confirmed next week by the Aurora City Council, Todd Chamberlain will be Aurora's sixth police chief since 2019, the first chief since 2022 without the word "interim" in his title, and the third chief this year.
He said at his first Aurora news conference on Thursday that he's here "for the long haul."
“Give me a chance, let’s partner, let’s collaborate, and let’s work together," Chamberlain said.
Aurora City Manager Jason Batchelor announced Chamberlain's selection on Wednesday. Chamberlain is a former Los Angeles Police Department officer and commander who was with the department from 1984 to 2018. He later served as police chief for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and more recently as a public safety consultant and university lecturer at California State University Los Angeles.
Batchelor did not include any public input while selecting Chamberlain for the job, a process he defended.
"The charter lays out that I appoint and the council confirm," Batchelor said. "So, this is the process we're using."
Chamberlain also defended the process that ended with his appointment.
"When you hear all the issues related to the selection process, I think the question has to be, has the selection process worked in the past?" Chamberlain said. "And I’m going to be very candid with you, I don’t think it has. You’ve had five chiefs in five years, and for whatever reason why, how that selection went, I don’t know, but I know that I am here to commit."
Aurora City Council member Francoise Bergan said she met with Chamberlain about a month ago, not in a public meeting, and came away impressed. She also defended a hiring process that was not public.
“We had some issues in the past with that process, and this may not be what the community thinks is the most transparent, but I can assure them that he will be meeting with the community and reaching, and he certainly wants to have partnership with the community, and so I think they will be pleasantly surprised," she said.
Chamberlain said he will prioritize stopping crime, community policing and limiting risk.
“It’s a multifaceted approach, but I do hope that I can bring the stability that this department needs," he said.
In January, Interim Chief Art Acevedo announced he was leaving. In July, his replacement, Interim Chief Heather Morris announced she would not seek the job permanently.
The City Council plans to vote to confirm Chamberlain next week. Mayor Mike Coffman said he will vote for Chamberlain, as did Bergan.