Chief Oates leaves strong legacy in Aurora

AURORA – On his last day as head of the Aurora Police Department, Chief Dan Oates said he feels he's left a strong legacy with the department.

"I believe one of the most important jobs you have as a police chief is to be consistently out there building good will for the organization," he said. Next week, he'll head to Florida to head up the Miami Beach Police Department.

Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Oates approached his job with an east-coast directness that won him plenty of supporters along the way. During his first week as police chief in Aurora, Oates went on camera to publicly challenge the parents of missing Aarone Thompson.

"If they truly care as they claim for Aarone, they need to speak to us at this time, and that's what I'm here to say tonight," he told an assortment of reporters and television cameras at the time.

Police eventually arrested Aaron Thompson for the death of his daughter. Even today, Oates said he's troubled by the case.

"Unfortunately we have concerns that we will never find [Aarone's] body, because we don't think Aaron knows where he hid it. I don't think he can lead us to it," he said.

In 2012, shortly after a gunman entered a movie theater in Aurora killing twelve, Oates went on camera to share his disgust about the case. "You think we're angry? We sure as hell are angry," he said as he stood outside the defendant's booby-trapped apartment.

An ongoing gag order in the criminal case prevents Oates from discussing the case in detail any more, but he strongly hints there remains plenty he'd like to say about the actions of his officers on the night of the murders.

"I think there are compelling stories to tell," he told 9Wants to Know investigator Chris Vanderveen.

Oates decided he wanted to become a police officer after hearing a radio ad for the New York City Police Department in 1979. He left the NYPD in 2001, shortly before the 9/11 attack to head the Ann Arbor Police Department.

He knew 9 of the 23 NYPD officers killed on 9/11.

"I think all of us are forever changed by 9/11. Certainly our profession has changed," he said.

In 2005, he left Ann Arbor bound for Aurora.

Next week, he'll leave Aurora bound for Miami Beach. The avid hockey player says he's already found some ice to play on down there.

"I'm on a team already. I got a game on Sunday night and a game on Monday night," he said.

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