AURORA, Colo. — The city of Aurora announced it has narrowed its search for a new chief of police to four candidates.
They are:
- Marcus Dudley Jr., a commander with Aurora Police.
- Alexander Jones, a colonel and bureau chief with the Baltimore County Police Department.
- Avery Moore, assistant police chief with the Dallas Police Department.
- Vanessa Wilson, the current interim chief for Aurora Police.
>Bios for the finalists are below.
The finalists will be in Aurora next week to meet with city council members, members of the police department and the community.
The four candidates will be taking part in a virtual town hall at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23.
The city wants to encourage residents to take part in the town hall by joining online or watching on Comcast channel 8. Residents can ask questions beforehand at this link.
After the town hall, an online survey will be available at this link for residents to provide feedback. The survey will be up for one week after the town hall.
“A lot has happened in the world since we began this search late last year, but I believe we have an excellent group of candidates to consider and look forward to meeting with each of them,” said Jim Twombly, Aurora city manager. “This has been a difficult time for all communities as people look to reexamine the role and operations of police departments across the country, and the timing of our search for the next Aurora Chief of Police provides us with a prime opportunity to understand how we as a city want to look forward and ask questions of those who wish to lead our department. Input from our community is a vital part of how we will proceed, so I encourage everyone to learn about the candidates and give us their feedback.”
The city said the city manager will make a final recommendation in July. City council would then have to vote to confirm the city manager's recommendation.
Aurora has conducted a nationwide search for its next chief after Nick Metz retired in December.
Bios
- Marcus Dudley Jr.
Marcus currently serves as a commander with the Aurora Police Department. He has been with the department for the past 23 years. He currently manages the Internal Affairs Bureau. Prior assignments as a commander have included management of the Investigations Bureau and commander of Patrol District 2. During his career Marcus has worked Investigation, Patrol Operations, Intelligence Unit, as Executive Officer to the Chief of Police, Media Relations Unit, Training Unit and Community Relations Unit, where he worked as a school resource officer. Prior to working for the Aurora Police Department, he worked for five years as a Corporate Leasing Specialist for CH2M Hill in Greenwood Village, Colorado. From 1988 to 1996 he served in the United States Army in a Military Police Battalion.
Marcus holds a bachelor of arts degree in business economics from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. He has also attended the Senior Management Institute for Police, sponsored by Boston University and the Police Executive Research Forum, as well as the Leadership in Police Organizations, sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. From 2006 to 2011 Marcus served on the Leadership Aurora Board of Directors, and from 2007 to 2010 he served on the Excelsior Youth Center Board of Directors.
- Alexander Jones
Alexander currently serves as a colonel with the Baltimore County Police Department. He has been with the department for the past 25 years. He currently is bureau chief of the Community Resource and Wellness Section and the Youth and Community Services Section. This Bureau is a newly formed unit to focus on community relations and to build trust within the community and improve relations with youth in Baltimore County. His prior assignment was head of the Operations Bureau, which included all 10 policing districts and oversight of 1,550 sworn and civilian staff. The Baltimore County Police Department has 1,914 sworn and 350 civilian staff and serves a population of 834,000 over 614 square miles.
Alexander holds a master of science degree in criminal justice from Ashworth College in Norcross, Georgia, and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Hartford, in West Hartford, Connecticut. He is a Trilogy Graduate of the FBI, Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, a program focusing on the 21st Century Policing Report. He attended Session V of the Major Cities Chiefs Association Executive Leadership Institute, a program specifically intended to prepare future Police Chiefs. He also attended the 56th Session of the Senior Management Institute for Police, sponsored by Boston University and Police Executive Research Forum. He currently serves as a board member of the YMCA Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.
- Avery Moore
Avery currently serves as an assistant police chief with the Dallas Police Department. He has been with the department for more than 29 years. He currently manages the Investigations and Tactical Bureau, which comprises 34 specialized units, including: Homicide Unit, Sexual Assault Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, SWAT, Bomb Squad, Narcotics, Vice and Love Field International Airport. Avery currently has 865 sworn and 125 civilian staff under his command. The city of Dallas has a population of 1,341,000 and a police department with 3,100 sworn and 1,000 civilian staff. Avery has promoted through the ranks and has held various positions in the department, including oversight of the East Patrol Bureau, the largest of the city’s four police bureaus. During his leadership of the division, they had measurable reductions in crime.
Avery holds a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix in Dallas, a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice and an associate of arts degree from Cameron University in Oklahoma. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Caruth Police Institute Executive Leadership Series. He is a state certified instructor in various police practices and is an expert in the use of force. Avery has been active in assisting with promotional processes within the Dallas Police Department and various departments throughout the United States.
- Vanessa Wilson
Vanessa currently serves as the interim police chief with the Aurora Police Department. She has been with the department for the past 23 years. She was appointed Interim Police Chief in January 2020. In 2015 she was the first female to attain the rank of Division Chief in the department and is the first female to serve in the position of Aurora interim police chief. During her career Vanessa has served as Metro Division Chief with oversight of the Investigations Bureau and Special Operations Bureau, Patrol Operations Division Chief, Acting Commander of District 2 Patrol Operations, Executive Officer of the Investigations Bureau, Internal Affairs Commander, Lieutenant of Recruitment and Field Training and various other assignments.
Vanessa holds a bachelor of arts degree in humanities from the University of Wyoming in Laramie. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Rocky Mountain FBI Academy, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Command Institute, Leadership in Police Organizations, sponsored by the International Association of Chief of Police, and she attended the Senior Management Institute for Police, sponsored by Boston University and the Police Executive Research Forum. In 2014 she received a Recognition Award from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce for “Women Making a Difference” for her creation and oversight of the ACOT (Aurora Community Outreach Team). She also received a Morton Bard Allied Professional Award from the National Organization of Victim Assistance for her support of victims of crime.
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