aurora police department
Aurora police human trafficking unit marks first year with 28 arrests, recovering 29 survivors
AURORA | Aurora police say that results from the first year after the department created a special unit to focus on human trafficking reveal how critical it is to focus on the crime. “When we set out to create a dedicated human trafficking unit, our mission was clear: Put survivors at the center of our […]
New police program targets crime reduction in Aurora business districts, retail stores
AURORA | The Aurora police are rolling out a new program to connect with business owners and help them reduce crime, like shoplifting and disorderly conduct. Police launched the Business Shield Initiative earlier this month and have so far visited about 350 businesses across the city to build relationships and share tips about how stores […]
Police said body found in Aurora Sterling Hills neighborhood was apparent suicide
AURORA | Police said a body discovered Tuesday afternoon in the Sterling Hills neighborhood was an apparent suicide, police said. Officers were called to the area of East Villanova Place and South Flanders Way at about 1 p.m. after someone discovered the body. Callers to the Sentinel said the body was leaned against a tree […]
Family sues Aurora officer, city over fatal police shooting of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield
AURORA | The family of a Black man fatally shot by an Aurora police officer is suing the officer and the city, alleging the city has not addressed persistent patterns of racial bias and excessive force in its police department. Aurora Police officer Matthew Neely shot and killed Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, 37, in August 2025 after […]
Sentinel Colorado wins state journalism awards for public service, social justice, editorials
AURORA | Sentinel Colorado took home five statewide journalism awards Saturday, competing against the largest media organizations in the state. Sentinel journalists were tabbed for the Colorado Press Association’s coveted Public Service award, this year for a series of stories, opinion columns and house editorials focusing on abuses of the public by the Aurora Police […]
Former Aurora officer accused of stealing, using drugs charged with misconduct, DUI
AURORA | A former Aurora Police officer is facing charges of official misconduct and driving under the influence after investigators say he took drugs collected at a traffic stop and later used them while driving home. The 18th Judicial District is charging Michael Gallagher following an investigation that found Gallagher used fentanyl he collected as […]
Aurora police officer resigned amid probe into taking, using narcotics from crime scene
AURORA | The Aurora Police Department referred a former officer for criminal charges after an internal investigation found that he took narcotics obtained as evidence and used them off-duty, police said in a social media post. On Facebook on Wednesday, the police department announced that former officer Michael Gallagher resigned in lieu of termination and […]
Stopping gun violence before it happens in Aurora. Is SAVE salvation or harassment?
AURORA | An Aurora community youth gun-violence prevention program is highlighting tension between a desire for safer communities and a lack of trust in police. Aurora’s Standing Against Violence Everyday program, which identifies youth involved in gun violence and directs them to supportive services, has recently drawn both positive and negative attention. Several times in […]
EDITORIAL: Grand jury indictment against APD officer reflects larger transparency problem
The Aurora police department’s greatest impediment to restoring badly needed public trust is a consistent and pervasive lack of transparency and candor as officers carry out duties, and too often become the center of some crisis. The grand jury indictment this week of Aurora police officer Matthew Neely on murder charges in connection with the […]
Grand jury indicts Aurora cop in fatal shooting of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield at traffic stop
EDITOR’S NOTE: Be advised that the officer worn video contains graphic language and graphic shooting violence. AURORA | An Aurora police officer faces a murder charge for the fatal shooting of a Black man during a traffic stop last year. On Monday, an Arapahoe County grand jury indicted Aurora Police officer Matthew Neely, 54, on […]