Aurora has too few black and Latino police officers and firefighters, and city officials say a federal inquiry into the city’s hiring practices may help them solve the problem.
In a letter notifying the city of a federal investigation to determine whether Aurora is engaged in a “pattern and practice” of discriminatory hiring, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice noted the percentages of Aurora’s black and Latino firefighters “are significantly lower than would be expected for agencies of these types.”
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“Having a more diverse public- safety team—police and fire departments—is a high priority for the city,” Miller [City Manager Ron Miller] said. “We look forward to working with the Department of Justice to identify additional strategies and opportunities to improve our hiring.”
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Of the Police Department’s 626 sworn officers, 85.3 percent are white, 6.9 percent are Latino, 4.3 percent are black, 1.1 percent are Asian and 1.1 percent are American Indian.
Aurora’s Fire Department employs 305 firefighters, 65 of whom are minorities. About 5 percent are Latino and 3 percent are black.
According to June figures provided by the Denver Civil Service Commission, 20.27 percent of Denver’s sworn officers are Latino and 9.35 percent are black.
Denver’s fire department is 19.8 percent Latino and 6.3 percent black.
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When Oates [Police Chief Dan Oates] was hired in 2005, diversifying the police force was among his top priorities.
Oates has dispatched recruiters around the country seeking minorities for the force, visiting job fairs and military bases. Before budget cuts took them away, the city offered signing bonuses. The department now has classes to help people prepare for written and physical exams required for recruits.
These efforts have brought in many new minority hires, Oates said. On Friday, three of the nine graduates from the department’s police academy were minorities.
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Last year, the city hired Mike Garcia to be fire chief. His goal also is to diversify the department.
But the Fire Department has few openings every year—especially as retirements have fallen with the worsening economy. And not many minorities are in the pool of qualified candidates, Garcia said.