The Aurora Police Department’s honor guard will host a fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 8 from 1 p.m. to midnight at Southbank Original Barbecue, 129 E. Hydraulic Ave., Yorkville. The event will feature a raffle and live band. —Al Benson
The Aurora Police Department is proud to announce the launch of its new Blue Envelope Program, a voluntary initiative designed to improve communication and promote safer interactions between first responders and individuals with autism or other communication differences. The program provides community members with a blue envelope that can store
By Al Benson “We’re here to stay,” Lorena Hernandez said March 10. The Aurora Police Department lieutenant led a trio of female Aurora police officers who explored “Women in Law Enforcement” at APD headquarters. Celebrating Women’s History Month, the presentation highlighted the Citizen Police Academy Alumni of Aurora March membership
The 59th class of the Aurora Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy will begin Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 and run for 11 consecutive Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Aurora Police Headquarters. Applications are due by Sunday, Feb. 22. Those interested in participating must be at least 18 years
By Al Benson “Aurora’s police department is not going out of business.” Deputy Chief Steven Stemmet made the comment as guest speaker at the January 13 Citizen Police Academy Alumni of Aurora monthly membership meeting at APD headquarters. Stemmet filled in for Police chief Matt Thomas who was unable to
More than 75 children from the community participated in a shopping spree with members of the Aurora Police Department, Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Meijer store on Route 59 in Aurora.
The City of Aurora has been named one of the safest cities in the United States, ranking #33 overall and #17 in the category of “Home & Community Safety” in WalletHub’s 2025 Safest Cities in America study. The national study compared 182 of the country’s largest cities using 41 indicators
Mayor of Aurora, John Laesch, honors the Aurora Police Department Crisis Negotiations Team at the Tuesday, Oct. 21 City Council meeting. The team was named the 2025 Negotiations Team of the Year by the Illinois Crisis Negotiators Association. The distinguished honor is for their teamwork during a long and complex
The Aurora Police Department has launched a new initiative to strengthen connections with the city’s senior population and protect senior residents from crimes and scams. The Senior Safety & Resources Unit, developed through the Community Oriented Policing (COP) Division, assigns specially trained officers to each patrol area to provide direct
The Aurora (Ill.) Police Department is investigating a shooting that left a 16-year-old injured Thursday, Oct. 16 evening on the city’s far east side. Just before 5:50 p.m. on October 16th, 2025, officers responded to the 2800 block of Village Green Drive after receiving reports of a gunshot victim near
Spike, right, Aurora Police Department’s mascot, walks with an APD cadet at Faith and Blue at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery October 3.
Calling Aurora police for help? Officers may show up with a social worker. The department’s co-response initiative was outlined by APD officials during the Aurora Lions Club membership meeting at Eola Taphouse in Aurora. Bridget Damschen, APD social work coordinator and Sgt. Scott Carter, Crisis Intervention Unit coordinator, spoke on
September 9, 2025 at approximately 5:43 p.m., Aurora Police Special Operations Group investigators conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado in the 0–100 block of South West Street after observing the driver commit a non-moving violation. During the stop, officers observed a loaded drum-style magazine in plain view on
Mayor of Aurora, John Laesch, right, swears in recently-appointed Aurora Police Chief Matthew Thomas at the May 20 Committee of the Whole meeting.
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council approved a Resolution at the Tuesday, Jan. 28 Aurora City Council meeting, to authorize the Chief of Police to sign and execute the annual memorandum of understanding with Learning for Life, a District of Columbia non-profit corporation for the Aurora Police Department Youth
The Aurora Police Department is investigating a fatal traffic crash involving three vehicles that occurred on October 21, 2024, at approximately 12:55 p.m.at the intersection of Farnsworth Avenue and Mountain Street. Preliminary details indicate that a white 2024 Nissan Kicks, driven by a male traveling eastbound on Mountain Street, attempted
Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross, left, is joined by Richard Irvin, Aurora mayor, to present special flags to active officers during the National Police Week ceremony.
Aurora police officer Jason Woolsey received the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Distinguished Citizen Medal award after being nominated by East Aurora High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps senior instructor and retired Navy Commander, Mike Kerley. This medal was awarded through a national competitive initiative and subsequently
Aurora Police Department held its annual “Coffee with a Cop” on Wednesday evening, April 17, at Javaplus Coffee in Aurora. The public was invited. Coffee, pastries and conversation were free. “Building relationships one cup at a time” was the theme. An APD statement said, “The mission of Coffee with a
Thursday, Feb. 8, the City of Aurora held a ribbon-cutting in the debut of its new, state-of-the-art, 911 Dispatch Center.
