It was another historic night in Aurora Thursday, Aug. 19 when the Aurora city government marked a milestone in its police reform efforts.
A year after the City launched its C.H.A.N.G.E. Reform Initiative, the first public meeting of the recently-formed Aurora Civilian Review Board (CRB) was held at Aurora City Hall. The CRB is an independent board that will review complaints against Aurora police officers and make recommendations on discipline to the police chief.
The CRB is comprised of nine Aurora residents recommended by the mayor and approved by the Aurora City Council. Each of the members took the oath of office administered by the Aurora City Clerk. The Board’s first order of business was electing leadership.
Retired federal administrative law judge Kim Bright emerged as the front-runner and will serve as the inaugural chair person of the Aurora CRB. Andrea McMillian will serve as vice chair. McMillian is an IT and innovation manager who has her own podcast.
The other seven members include Dr. Timothy Brown, a retired clinical psychologist; Rajesh Char, a digital marketer; college professor and pastor, Dr. Vince Gaddis; Jacqueline Gibson, a middle school principal in the East Aurora School District 131; Ginger Ingram, who owns a daycare in Aurora, is an English as a second language instructor; Lily Rocha, a West Aurora School District 129 graduate who is the regional manager of a national non-profit organization; and Curtis Wilson, a clinical trials research professional.
In addition to reviewing police complaints, the Aurora CRB will review police policies and spearhead a communitywide education campaign to strengthen the relations between officers and residents.
The CRB is one of several outcomes of Aurora’s C.H.A.N.G.E. Reform Initiative that was launched after the murder of George Floyd to review police practices in the State’s second-largest city.
Police body cameras, a review of use-of-force policies, and the establishment of an Equity and Inclusion Department at City Hall were other recommendations the Aurora city government has put into place recently.
—Aurora city government