Aurora Police Department Launches Officer-Complaint Portal

AURORA, IL — The Aurora Police Department launched an online portal Thursday where residents can view complaints against officers and reported misconduct. The portal is one of several initiatives being implemented by Aurora officials in response to sustained calls for police reform after George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis in May.

The police department’s open data portal, which can be found here, shows information about 334 police complaints and the results of subsequent investigations over the past 36 months. The portal also provides a summary of the Office of Professional Standards’ investigatory and disciplinary processes.

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Of the 334 complaints made against officers, 295 were brought by police supervisors and 36 were brought by citizens, the data shows. Aurora officers have made just three complaints against their colleagues in the past three years, according to the data from the department’s Office of Professional Standards.

Ten complaints, or about 3 percent of all complaints filed in the past three years, involved an officer accused of using inappropriate force, while 76 were related to officers’ driving, the data shows.

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Nearly 60 complaints have been about officers’ professional conduct since July 2017, and 55 complaints alleged Aurora officers violated the department’s pursuit policies.

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The portal shows that nearly 79 percent of all complaints — 263 — were sustained, with 172 complaints prompting written reprimands. Just under a quarter of all complaints led to an officer being suspended, and three officers were fired as a result of investigations by the Office of Professional Standards. Fifty-four complaints were closed without any action being taken, the data shows.

Police officials said they launched the portal “in an effort to increase transparency with the community,” though they have emphasized the information was always available to residents through Freedom of Information Act requests.

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Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin released a four-point CHANGE Reform Initiative in June, calling for reviews of the Aurora Police Department's use-of-force and training policies, a body-camera program for officers, and the establishment of a civilian review board to investigate complaints against officers and allegations of police misconduct.