Aurora police chief urges caution, options as homelessness increases

Police Chief Cy briefed the Aurora City Council on May 28 about a recent rise in people living on city property and in parks, and asked council members for direction on how the department should respond.

"Aurora is no different than any other community in the United States and is seeing a increase in some homeless population," the chief said, noting that people often congregate near government buildings and parks because they view those sites as safer. He emphasized legal limits on enforcement, saying local panhandling rules are constrained by court rulings and that "no law can be on the book that basically makes homelessness a crime."

The chief described operational steps the department is using: offering transportation to shelters for those who accept it, moving people off city property when necessary, and coordinating with local service providers to identify individuals and needs. He said many people do not accept shelter placements because programs can require drug testing or other participation conditions.

Council members asked about specific increases and whether homeless encampments had grown near schools; the chief said the pattern shifts seasonally (more visible in spring/summer) and that his assessment is based on calls and complaints rather than an exact head count.

The chief also summarized recent police operations: two armed, barricaded-person incidents in the previous week were resolved without injuries after officers established perimeters and used dialogue to de-escalate the situations.

Council did not adopt new ordinances at the meeting but the chief suggested potential options, such as adopting an ordinance to make sleeping in parks a violation to allow temporary removal, while noting such measures are not a long-term fix without shelter capacity.